By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff

LIBERTY — The Liberty community suffered a great loss Jan. 30, as Luther Johnson, Jr., a longtime civic leader and local businessman passed away in his sleep at age 82 with his wife and son at his bedside.

A son of the late Luther Johnson, Sr., and Eva Louise Anderson Johnson, Luther Johnson, Jr., was born in Pickens County and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Benedict College in Columbia before continuing with graduate-level courses, earning a Master of Science from North Carolina A&T State University.
Education was important to Johnson, so he sought additional courses at the prestigious Penn State University, and studied religion at Clemson University in Pickens County.

During his professional life, Johnson served as principal at both Greer Elementary and Belton Middle Schools. He was also a member of the Pickens County Retired Teachers Association.

Perhaps most notable, however, was Johnson’s service as one of the oldest licensed funeral directors in the state of South Carolina. He earned his professional license as a funeral director in 1955, at a time when the licensing process was just beginning. He was an active member and also served as an officer for the South Carolina Mortician Association (SCMA) and National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.