Community leader Thomas Johnson dies

Community leader Thomas Johnson died Monday. He was 68.

Johnson was born in Savannah in 1942 to Quincy Johnson and Helen Burke-Johnson. He retired from the Navy as a master chief.

Johnson was a community leader in the Westchester neighborhood on James Island, where he served as president of the Westchester Civic Association.

Throughout the years, Johnson participated in numerous organizations. He served as vice chairman of the Friends of McLeod Plantation and chairman of the James Island Land Use Commission. He also was a member of the S.C. Cemetery Board, the city of Charleston Recreation Committee, the Charleston Greenbelt Committee and others.

Johnson was concerned with protecting slave burial grounds. He founded the Committee to Preserve African-American Cemeteries and attempted to map plantation slave cemeteries, such as one on the grounds of Seabrook Plantation.

"I want my folks' stories to be told," he said in a 2009 interview.

Johnson is survived by his wife, Carolyn E. Johnson, seven children and several grandchildren.

A visitation will be held at St. James Presbyterian Church from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. There also will be a viewing at the church at 10 a.m. Saturday until the funeral at 11 a.m.

Fielding Home for Funerals of Charleston is handling the arrangements.