Peter Cathcart Johnson Sr., of Salem, Ohio, and Vero Beach, Fla., died on Tuesday morning, Nov. 8, 2011, after a short illness.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 2, 1924, he was the son of Ethel Cathcart and Frederick Hursh Johnson of Summitville, Ohio. (Columbiana County)

Mr. Johnson enrolled in St. Paul School for Boys in Baltimore, Md., where he had been a choir boy scholar and excelled in football and lacrosse.

Following his graduation from St. Paul's School for Boys in 1942, he enrolled at Penn State University where he was a member of the Varsity Lacrosse Team, and was twice elected Class President.

His college years were interrupted by World War II, at which time he enlisted with the US Army Transportation Corps and served in the European Theater until the end of the war.
AfterWorld War II, Mr. Johnson returned to Penn State, graduating in 1948.

On June 24, 1949, Mr. Johnson married his college sweetheart one week after her graduation from Penn State, Jean Cameron Johnson.
They raised five children, traveled the world and shared 62 years together.

Their five children are: a daughter, Christine J. DahDah (Joe) of Baltimore, Md.; and four sons in the Salem, Ohio area: Peter, Jr. (Gail, deceased); Richard (Annie); Bruce (Karen); and David. They have 13 grandchildren.

Upon his graduation from Penn State, Mr. Johnson had moved back to Summitville, Ohio, and joined the family business, The Summitville Face Brick Company. Over the course of his 45 year business career, he and his brother, Fred Johnson, transformed the company from a small brick yard into Summitville Tiles, one of the nation's leading producers of ceramic tile.

The two brothers also formed Summitcrest Farms, which became one of the leading Angus breeding operations in the nation. Mr. Johnson retired as president of the company in 1990, though remained a guiding hand in the family business until only recently.

During his tenure at Summitville, Mr. Johnson held a variety of leadership positions within the ceramic tile industry. For over 30 years, he served as a member of the Tile Council of America's Board of Directors.
In 1960, he was elected as the president of that organization. He was re-elected to that post again in 1979. In 1976.

Subsequent to his retirement from Summitville Tiles, in 1988 Mr. and Mrs. Johnson purchased the Spread Eagle Tavern of Hanoverton, Ohio.
After overseeing the two-year restoration of the 150 year old tavern house, in 1990 they launched it as an upscale restaurant and country inn.
Over the course of the past two decades, it has been visited by a number of national and state political figures.

Mr. Johnson was a former member of the Board of Directors of the Farmers National Bank of Salem and the First Steuben Bancorp of Steubenville, Ohio.

He was a former member of the Board of the Salem Community Hospital Association. He had been a member of the Salem Golf Club since 1949, served as its president in 1965 and served 25 years as the Chairman of the Club's Permanent Building Committee, culminating in the 1989 major renovation of the clubhouse. He was a member of the John's Island Club in Vero Beach, Fla.
Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife, Jean Cameron Johnson, their five children, 13 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Ethel Drehmann Daum and his brother Frederick H. Johnson.

Calling hours will be held from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. Friday at the Stark Memorial Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday morning at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Meta Cramer officiating. Burial will follow at Grandview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution may be made to the Salem First Presbyterian Church Deacon Fund, 436 East Second Street, Salem, Ohio 44460 or any Columbiana County Charity.