E. William "Bill" Johnson (8/10/1932 - 1/7/2022)
Elmer William Johnson, Architect of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, departed from his earthly life January 7th, 2022, at the age of 89. He
was the beloved son of the late Elmer and Eunice (nee Jacobson)
Johnson. He's reunited with his late siblings, sister Marianne
(Mimi), brother Michael (Mike) and son, James (Jim) Johnson
(Longwood, FL). He is survived by three daughters, Catherine
Johnson (Miami, FL), Cindy Velcheck (Waukesha, WI) and perhaps
most profoundly by his devoted caregiver, daughter Linda Johnson
(Milwaukee, WI).
As a young man, Bill "the Swede", excelled at ice skating and basketball. He served two
years in the United States Army and studied architecture in St. Louis, MO. He became a
proud and prolific architect in Milwaukee, following in the footsteps of his father.
Bill loved sharing the stories of his unique design projects and the
people with whom he collaborated. Later in life, Bill directed his
artistic gifts to pen and ink drawing and acrylic painting. Among
others, his favorite subjects were the harbors and landscapes of
his many world travels. Bill's treasures included many classy cars
and a range of fine art that adorned his homes.
To his descendants, he passed down his cherished Swedish heritage, a joy for telling stories and sketching on placemats and a rich
legacy of architectural accomplishments creating skylines
throughout the Midwest. A few of the most well-known projects
of his firm, include the original, award-winning M&I Bank on Water Street, the Milwaukee
County Zoo, Milwaukee's original County Stadium and dozens of lovely homes and libraries
in southeast Wisconsin.
As we say goodbye, we hope he will be remembered in his
happy place: The helm of his boat, telling jokes (or casting a
line) with a martini in his hand, watching the sunset over the
water.