Olen Lee “Bear Hugger” Johnson, 84, passed away on Friday, August 29, 2014, at Noxubee General Hospital in Macon, Mississippi. Visitation will be on Sunday, August 31, 2014, at Nowell-Massey Funeral Home from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 1, 2014, in the Nowell-Massey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Hubert Yates officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Johnson was born on October 7, 1929, to Alma Wylie Johnson and Joseph Lee Johnson. He was a member of Macedonia Baptist Church, and he worked in the Research and Development Department at Taylor Machine Works for approximately 40 years. He answered the call of his country by serving in the United States Army and in the Army Reserve for 11 years.
Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife, Margaret Barnhill Johnson; and two daughters, Deborah Long and husband, Howard; and Susan Quinn and husband, Willie, all of Louisville. He is survived by four sons: Joey Johnson and wife, Debbie; and Charles Johnson and wife, Mary Lou, all of Louisville; Douglas Miles and wife, Debbie, of Daphne, Alabama; and Danny Miles of Louisville. He has one sister, Pearline Estes and husband, Tom, of Forest, Mississippi; and one brother, Doyal Johnson of Killen, Alabama. Mr. Johnson was PawPaw Bear Hugger to Ryan Long and wife, Sandy; Ramona Long; Corey Long and wife, Paulina; Jason Quinn and wife, Rebecca; Will Lee Quinn; Mindy Walker and husband, Chris; Jacob Olen Johnson; Lindsey Richardson and husband, Will; and Lauren Butts Crawford and husband, Jeff; as well as, 13 great-grandchildren. He also has numerous nieces and nephews; and to the children they kept, he was known as “Poppa”. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Lovorn Johnson; his parents; his sister, Ruth Reed; his great-granddaughter, Haleigh Long; and son, Donald Miles.
Serving as pallbearers will be Ryan Long, Jason Quinn, Will Quinn, Jacob Johnson, Corey Long, and Ricky Shaw. Memorials may be given to Macedonia Baptist Church or to the Baptist Children’s Village Nanih Waiya Campus.
Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com.