Mr. Oscar W. Johnson's Obituary
Oscar W. 'Dub' Johnson August 27, 1922 ' January 18, 2013 Castro Valley, CAAfter a brief illness, Dub passed away peacefully at his home of nearly 47 years in the presence of his children. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Dub spent his youth there, as well as in Little Rock, Arkansas and Brownsville, Texas, before eventually settling in California. A graduate of UC Berkeley, he entered the US Navy, serving proudly as a Lieutenant JG. in the Pacific theatre on the destroyer the USS Mullany. He survived a kamikaze attack in April of 1945, which took the lives of several of his shipmates and nearly sank the ship. Upon his discharge from the Navy, he settled in San Francisco, beginning a long distance courtship with Emilia Jaramillo, whom he eventually married in June of 1950. Theirs was a long and happy marriage, resulting in three children, Debbie (Harris), Ted, and David. Dub is predeceased by Emilia and David, as well as Debbie's husband Ed and two sisters, Margaret Pepper and Lida Petersen. He is survived by Debbie, Ted, Ted's wife Terrie, one sister, Dorothy Hopper of Santa Rosa, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, in addition to numerous nieces and nephews. Dub is best known for his piano playing. He had numerous fans throughout the Bay Area, faithfully following him through the years to his many piano bar gigs. He was both a great entertainer and a host capable of inspiring confidence in singers gathered around his piano and organ. He was happiest when sharing the spotlight and microphone with anybody who cared to join in, making everybody feel welcome. While he will be missed, he lived a long and eventful life, leaving memories of his extraordinary talent and truly gentle and kind nature to anybody fortunate enough to have made his acquaintance. A member, with Emilia, of the First Presbyterian Church in Hayward for nearly 40 years, it is appropriate that we gather there on Saturday March 2 at 1:00 for a memorial service celebrating his life. All are welcome to attend.
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