George Andrew “Andy” JOHNSON

1957 - 2014  (56 years)

• Name	George Andrew “Andy” JOHNSON  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Birth	8 Oct 1957	Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina
  Gender	Male
  HIST	of Sumter, South Carolina Man saves 3 before dying of smoke inhalation Matt Walsh / The Item A tear rolls down Andrea Johnson's cheek as she remembers her father, George, who saved three people from a fire that ultimately claimed his life. BY TYLER SIMPSON tyler@theitem.com "I got to, Carolyn. I got to try to save Aunt Wessie." Those were the final words that George Andrew "Andy" Johnson spoke to his wife before he ran to rescue three neighbors, including family members, from a house in the 1000 block of Nathaniel Street that caught fire Wednesday morning. All three neighbors survived ... at the cost of Johnson's life. His wife, Carolyn, said she woke up about 2:30 a.m. to find her aunt's house next door on fire. She woke her husband to tell him about the fire, and Andy immediately ran out of the house to try to save his aunt-in-law. "I told Andy that the house was on fire, and he jumped out before me," said Carolyn Johnson. "I told him not to go, but he said 'I got to, Carolyn. I got to try to save Aunt Wessie.'" Johnson ran into the house to rescue his aunt-in-law, 95-year-old Wessie Johnson, and the other two people in the home. Andy Johnson apparently lifted his elderly aunt, who has an amputated leg, up to the rear window of her bedroom while the other two people in the building exited through a front window. A report from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office stated deputies soon arrived and found the building engulfed in flames and Wessie Johnson hanging from the rear window, whom they helped to safety. While battling the blaze, firefighters with the Sumter Fire Department located George Johnson lying on the floor near the bedroom window. He was transported to Tuomey Regional Medical Center but died from smoke inhalation. George Johnson's family said Wessie Johnson is recovering quickly. "It's very heroic. Apparently, he didn't think twice about going in there to help somebody," said Lieutenant Matt Carroll of the Sumter Fire Department. "At the same time, it's a very sad situation." Andrea Johnson remembers the last time she saw her father alive. The 29-year-old said she saw the fire from just outside the door of her house when her father rushed past her toward the flames. It was simply something her father would do. "To know him was to love him," Andrea said. "Once you met him, you couldn't help but fall in love with him. Anything you would ask him to do, no matter what his health issues were, he would jump into doing it." At that time, she was completely unaware it would be the last time she would see her father alive, unaware he would soon give his own life to rescue others. Words could not express how much she misses her father. "It's the worst feeling in the world, and I've had some low points," Andrea said. "My daddy was always the one to bring me up when I was down, and he would always say something where he would let me know that everything's going to be all right." To say that Johnson's relationship with his daughters was a good one would be a major understatement; they were practically best friends, according to Andrea. "That was my ace, having him for a daddy," Andrea said. "No matter what me and my sister did, he was always proud of us. He would always say 'Y'all ain't no bad kids. Y'all did what y'all had to do, and I just so proud of y'all.'" Her fondest memory of her father is the day he went with her to the hospital to help deliver her currently 4-year-old daughter. She recalled how her father would continually say, "Baby, you got to get that girl out you." On the day of her child's birth, Andrea said her father went out of his way to help her, even rushing off after the delivery to the hospital cafeteria right before it closed to get her something to eat. "We're two peas in a pod. That's what my momma would always say," Andrea said, smiling at the memory. Both Carolyn and Andrea Johnson agreed that George Johnson led an eventful life, from his time playing as starting centerfielder for the P-15's in 1976 to being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, even during his life as a disabled veteran. He was always there for his family to pick them up when they were feeling down. "He wouldn't have wanted us to be crying. He would have wanted us to be laughing," Andrea said. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and is under further investigation by both the fire department and Sumter County Sheriff's Office. Reach Tyler Simpson at (803) 774-1295. Multimedia editor Matt Walsh contributed to this story. Posted in Local news, News on Thursday, January 23, 2014 Fire hero's former coach recalls days on the diamond MATT WALSH / THE ITEM Carolyn Johnson looks out her window to the scene where her husband was killed in a house fire early Wednesday morning. He saved three people from the burning building before collapsing with smoke inhalation. BY TYLER SIMPSON tyler@theitem.com George Andrew "Andy" Johnson, who died early Wednesday morning after saving three neighbors from a house fire, will always be remembered by his family and friends as the type of man who would never turn away the chance to help someone. And that's how his former baseball coach remembers him as well. Former Sumter P-15's coach Hugh Betchman remembers Johnson from his days playing centerfield under him starting in 1976, saying that Johnson made a name for himself as a team player and the kind of player that everyone of his teammates would want to play with. "Andy was a model person to coach, the kind any coach enjoys coaching," Betchman said. "He could just accept coaching in a way that would make him a better player." Betchman said that Johnson was the type of player who always knew the right thing to do while on the field. He fondly remembers one particular playoff game where the coach of the opposing team remarked, "We would have whipped that crowd if it hadn't been for that Johnson kid who caught everything we hit out into the field." "Andy had all the tools to be a good player," Betchman said. "He could run, he could throw real well, and he could hit." Johnson continued to be a model baseball player and individual while playing for the P-15's up to when he was drafted to the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league team. When Betchman heard about Johnson's tragic death and the circumstances that led to it, he couldn't help but think that it sounded like something Johnson would do. "He would try to help other people in need and apparently tried to go back into the house to save other person," Betchman said. "Apparently, it was too much for him, but I certainly admired him for what he did." Johnson was awakened around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning by his wife, Carolyn, who told him that the house next door occupied by her aunt, 95-year-old Wessie Johnson and two other residents, was on fire. Johnson didn't hesitate to rush over to help amputee Wessie, despite his wife's pleas, saying, "I got to, Carolyn. I got to try to save Aunt Wessie." Reports from the Sumter Fire Department and the Sumter County Sheriff's Office say that officers arrived to assist and found that Wessie was lifted up to the rear bedroom window by Johnson before they were able to remove her from the residence. The other two residents had already made it safely out of the building. However, Johnson was nowhere to be found. Firefighters put out the blaze to find Johnson lying on the floor in the rear bedroom. He died shortly afterward from smoke inhalation. Wessie Johnson is currently at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Johnson is survived by his wife and his two daughters, Andrea, 29, and Kendra, 25. The fire is still under investigation by the Sumter Fire Department and the Sheriff's Office. Reach Tyler Simpson at (803) 774-1295. Posted in Local news, News on Saturday, January 25, 2014 George A. Johnson George Andrew “Andy” Johnson, 56, departed this earthly life on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014, at Toumey Regional Medical Center. He was born Oct. 8, 1957, in Sumter, the son of the late Bristow Sr., and Carolyn Colelough Johnson. He attended the public schools of Sumter County, a 1976 graduate of Sumter High School, where he excelled in baseball and participated in the Junior ROTC program. He attended Morris College and Denmark Technical College. Andy played for the Sumter P-15’s baseball team as an awesome centerfielder and was drafted by the Dodgers. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served our country and received an honorable discharge. He grew up in Saint Mark UM Church. He joined New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and took great pride in worshipping with his family, praising God for blessing him with a foundation that would allow him to experience everlasting peace and eternal healing. Andy worked at Southern Coating Company, was a licensed commercial truck driver, a master barber and cook. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Bracey Johnson; two caring and special daughters, Andrea Nicole “Nikki” Johnson of the home and Kendra Andreana Johnson of Charlotte; one granddaughter, Kaylen Johnson, of the home; five sisters, Earline Holland, Mary Hunter, Marjorie Johnson, Marie (Leroy) Carolina and Shirley (Rev. James) Lane; four brothers, Joseph (Cleo) Johnson, Kirk (Sharon) Johnson, Daniel “Pee Wee” (Elizabeth Abrams) Johnson and Darrell (Wilethia) Johnson; five sisters-in-law, Elma Bracey, Carrie Bracey, Rethea B. Lemmon, Helen D. Blackmon and Amy Johnson; seven brothers-in-law, Riley (Patricia) Bracey Jr., Freddie (Joann) Bracey, Jack Bracey, Leroy (Gloria) Davis, Eugene McClinton, Teddy Davis and Daryl Davis (Kendra); four special nieces and nephews, whom he helped raise, James (Rebecca) Johnson, Alfred (Erika) Johnson, Carol Johnson and Joyce (Marcus) Carter; and a host of other loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors. The family will meet and greet friends from 6 to 7 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church located at 3249 Hwy 15 South in Sumter, with the Pastor Willie A. Wright Jr., the Rev. Leroy Blanding, the Rev. James C. Lane, the Rev. John Johnson and Minister Calvin Hastie. Burial is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Posted in Obituaries on Sunday, January 26, 2014 George A. Johnson George Andrew “Andy” Johnson, 56, departed this earthly life on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. He was born Oct. 8, 1957, in Sumter, a son of the late Bristow Sr. and Carolyn Colclough Johnson. He attended the public schools of Sumter County. A 1976 graduate of Sumter High School, he excelled in baseball and participated in the Junior ROTC program. He attended Morris College and Denmark Technical College. Andy played for the Sumter P-15’s baseball team as an awesome centerfielder and was drafted by the Dodgers. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served our country and received an honorable discharge. He grew up in Saint Mark UM Church. He joined New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and took great pride in worshiping with his family, praising God for blessing him with a foundation that would allow him to experience everlasting peace and eternal healing. Andy worked at Southern Coating Co., was a licensed commercial truck driver, a master barber and cook. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Bracey Johnson; two caring and special daughters, Andrea Nicole “Nikki” Johnson of the home and Kendra Andreana Johnson of Charlotte; one granddaughter, Kaylen Johnson of the home; five sisters, Earline Holland, Mary Hunter, Marjorie Johnson, Marie (Leroy) Carolina and Shirley (the Rev. James) Lane; four brothers, Joseph (Cleo) Johnson, Kirk (Sharon) Johnson, Daniel “Pee Wee” (Elizabeth Abrams) Johnson and Darrell (Wilethia) Johnson; five sisters-in-law, Elma Bracey, Carrie Bracey, Rethea B. Lemmon, Helen D. Blackmon and Amy Johnson; seven brothers-in-law, Riley (Patricia) Bracey Jr., Freddie (Joann) Bracey, Jack Bracey, Leroy (Gloria) Davis, Eugene McClinton, Teddy Davis and Daryl Davis (Kendra); four special nieces and nephews, whom he helped raise, James (Rebecca) Johnson, Alfred (Ericka) Johnson, Carol Johnson and Joyce (Marcus) Carter; and a host of other loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 3249 U.S. 15 South, with Pastor Willie A. Wright Jr., the Rev. Leroy Blanding, the Rev. James C. Lane, the Rev. John Johnson and Minister Calvin Hastie. Burial is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Fort Jackson National Cemetery. The family is receiving visitors at the home, 1008 Nathaniel St., Sumter. Online memorials can be sent to comfhltj@sc.rr.com. Community Funeral Home of Sumter is in charge of arrangements. Posted in Obituaries on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Tears, celebration at hero's funerals funerals • • • Share Share Print Create a hardcopy of this page Font Size: Default font size Larger font size Previous Next Matt Walsh / The Sumter Item Tears, celebration at hero's funeral The family of George Johnson celebrates his life at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday. Posted: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 6:00 am BY TYLER SIMPSON tyler@theitem.com There were no somber words spoken during the funeral service for George Andrew "Andy" Johnson at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday. It was a celebration of the life he lived and the people he left behind: his loving family, his wonderful friends and the three people he saved from a house fire on Jan. 22 at the cost of his life. Johnson died from smoke inhalation after rescuing the people from an early morning fire at his neighbor's house on Nathaniel Street. As part of Tuesday's services, he was honored posthumously by the Sumter Fire Department for his heroic deed when Battalion Chief Johnnie Rose presented his family with the Department's Bravery and Valor award. "Andy was really our hero, my hero. He meant a lot to me," Rose said. "Every Sunday, we'd get together after church, and we would talk about the old times, about sports and everything." A longtime friend of Johnson's from when they attended Sumter High School together, Rose said, "He was a great husband, a great father, a great grandparent and also a great friend." Johnson, knowing the risks, ran into the house of his aunt Wessie Johnson when it caught fire, only thinking about the safety of all three residents of the house. "Andy didn't lose his life; he gave his life," said Leon Mullins, Johnson's cousin. Johnson touched the lives of everyone who attended the service, from his family to friends he has known since his time in high school. Joe Potts, Johnson's teammate from Sumter High football, remembers him as a superhero for everything he has done in his life, including one particular football game in which he gained inspiration from Johnson. "We were in the huddle, and Andy said 'keep your head,'" Potts said. "In the year 1976, I took Andy's advice all the way through even after Andy had graduated. That year, I made Most Valuable Defensive Lineman because of that man." Joseph Johnson, one of his dear brothers, and Mullins also spoke at the service, remembering him as an honest man who would always remind his family how much he loved them. As the Rev. Willie A. Wright of New Bethel said, a lesson is to be learned from Johnson's final actions about how the word hero can be overused sometimes. "We use that word 'hero' very loosely in our society," Wright said. "If a man hits a home run at the bottom of the ninth to win the game, he's a hero. I don't care how you call them a hero. I don't care how many three point shots he hits. I don't care how many touchdowns he scores. The only hero I know is when you live like Andy Johnson." Johnson was a husband, a father, a grandfather, an uncle, a cousin, a friend and a superhero to all who knew him. After the service, Johnson was transported to Fort Jackson National Cemetery, where his body will be laid to rest in peace. Reach Tyler Simpson at (803) 744-1295. • Print • Share Share • Posted in Local news, News on Wednesday, January 29, 2014  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  MILI	He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served our country and received an honorable discharge.  [4]
  _UID	3B25A7CBFFA5441AAA9A9DB47EA151BD96DB
  Death	22 Jan 2014	in a fire trying to save his wife’s aunt, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina
  Burial	28 Jan 2014	Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Road, Fort Jackson, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina   [4]
  	Comunity Funeral Home, Sumter, South Carolina
  Person ID	I194949	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	19 Feb 2014

  
  

  Father	Bristow JOHNSON, Sr.,   b. 19 Oct 1919, Wedgefield community of Sumter County, South Carolina d. 26 Nov 2006, Sumter Rehabilitation Center, Sumter, South Carolina (Age 87 years)
  Mother	Carolyn COLCLOUGH
  _UID	2C9A2F1D5FB842719C393AC21B859CA79029
  _UID	2C9A2F1D5FB842719C393AC21B859CA79029
  Family ID	F132427	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Carolyn BRACEY
  _UID	B78D285DF90A44E5BE9AD534BF92FF32D875
  _UID	B78D285DF90A44E5BE9AD534BF92FF32D875
  Children	1. Andrea Nicole “Nikki” JOHNSON   2. Kendra Andreana JOHNSON
  Family ID	F132432	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2014

  
  

• Sources

  [S7925] Bristow Johnson Sr. [S20547] Fire claims hero’s life - Man saves 3 before dying of smoke inhalation. [S20548] Fire hero’s former coach recalls days on the diamond. [S20549] George A. Johnson. [S20621] Tears, celebration at hero’s funeral.