James Boyd Johnson, AIA passed away on Thursday, September 11, 2014, at his home in Clearwater, FL at the age of 83. He is survived by his loving wife, Susan M. Johnson; and his children, Jeffrey M. Johnson and wife, Colleen, Leanne J. Mihelic and husband, Michael, Jocelyn Johnson Gold and husband, Andrew and James C. Johnson and wife, Tiffany. He was also blessed with eight grandchildren, Kelly and Jeffrey Johnson, Morgan and Parker Mihelic, Sophia Gold and Ava, Lilah and Adelaide Johnson.
Johnson was a prominent architect and CEO of the venerable Pittsburgh, PA architectural firm, JSA. He began his notable career in architecture in 1957. By 1980, Johnson became owner and CEO of Johnson/Schmidt & Associates, later renamed as JSA. Johnson and his firm had a profound impact on the architecture and interior design of buildings in the Pittsburgh area. As a design innovator, Johnson was responsible for introducing Pittsburgh to the area’s first multi-level enclosed shopping malls with the design and construction of South Hills Village (1965) and Monroeville Mall (1969). He and the firm went on to create award-winning work on numerous high profile clients, including PNC Bank, Mellon Bank, Federated Investor, May Company, DDI, the University of Pittsburgh, Lord & Taylor and the World Bank.
In addition to his prolific architectural and design contributions, Johnson was a fixture among the city’s social and philanthropic community, particularly as a generous supporter of the performance arts. He was a trustee and executive committee member of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and a trustee of the Pittsburgh Dance Council. As a business leader, he was a distinguished member of the city’s prestigious Duquesne Club.
Read the full obituary on post-gazette.com.