CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Post's longtime co-publisher and general manager, Robert Johnson, died Wednesday. He was 84.
Johnson, the son of previous publisher Bill Johnson, joined the paper as an entertainment columnist and served many roles over the years including circulation manager and ad sales representative.
The Johnson Family bought The Charlotte Post in 1974 when Bill brought the paper out of bankruptcy and later passed it on to his sons, Gerald and Robert.
After Bill Johnson died in 1986, Gerald took over the paper's operations while Robert served as The Post's public face who connected with readers, subscribers and advertisers.
Since then, the publication has been awarded numerous journalism honors, including the North Carolina Press Association's General Excellence award as the state's best community publication.
Robert Johnson graduated from West Charlotte High School in 1957 and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Johnson C. Smith University in 1961.
Johnson will be remembered during a ceremony at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Charlotte on Friday, June 14 at noon.
Herb L. White, the Post’s current editor, shared the following statement with WCNC Charlotte:
"As a company, we are heartbroken by the passing of our friend and teammate Robert Johnson. Bob held many roles at The Post over a half-century – columnist, advertising representative and circulation manager – but he was best at being human. He mentored colleagues and engaged our readers and Charlotte at large. He was integral to the company’s success because he encouraged us to reach for our collective best while recognizing the humanity in all of us."
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