Buzz Johnson honored

Steve Smith was lead-off speaker at the June 9 Roswell Rotary Memorial Program for fellow Rotarian Buzz Johnson.

Sylvester Parsons “Buzz” Johnson III died May 26, 2021, at the age of 89.

The Roswell Rotary Club each year designates a meeting to honor the its most recently deceased members.

Smith described how Buzz was raised in Roswell and on his family’s nearby SP Johnson Ranch.

Known to “Buzz” by most of his acquaintances, his longtime friend Mary Lou Glass called him “Buzzy,” Smith said.

“Buzzy was also known to be a poker player,” Smith joked. “I’m not really sure how that went for Buzzy because he was also known to be very tight. One example was he sold a house he owned to General (Richard T.) Knowles. When the general moved in there weren’t any lightbulbs in the house.”

Also paying honor to Buzz at the meeting were his son Joel Johnson, and friend and Rotarian Betty Young.

Buzz was born in Roswell on Nov. 11, 1931, to S. P. “Syl” Johnson Jr. and Geraldine Ogle Johnson.

He attended schools in Roswell and graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1949 and the University of New Mexico in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in Business.

In 1953, he married Barbara Jo (B.J.) Leferink. After graduation from UNM, he and B.J. moved to Hayward, Calif., where Buzz was commissioned a second lieutenant at Parks Air Force Base. He served  in the Air Force until 1956, when he returned to Roswell to raise sheep and cattle on the family ranch with his father.

In 1977 Buzz began to focus on investments, oil and gas interests, and real estate. He was civically active, serving as a Chaves County Commissioner in the early 1970s and president of the NMMI Alumni Association. His family said he also enjoyed his longtime membership in the Roswell Rotary Club.

Buzz enjoyed flying his various Cessna airplanes from Roswell to the family ranch and around the Southwest.

He was a pioneer hot-air balloonist and was part owner of the original NMMI balloon. He enjoyed golfing, fishing and traveling to many parts of the world with his wife and many friends.

Buzz is survived by his sons, S.P. “Chip” Johnson IV and Joel Johnson.

Buzz Johnson

Steve Smith

Joel Johnson

Betty Young