Eugene Delano Johnson

Mr. Eugene Delano Johnson was born January 5, 1933, in Baltimore, Maryland to the late Thomas J. Dopson and Anna Victoria Johnson. He died on Friday, July 10, 2026, in Wilmington, Delaware. He was 93.

Mr. Johnson was a member of Second Pilgrim Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir, as well as Tabernacle Full Gospel Baptist Church, where he served as security for the late Bishop Aretha E. Morton.

Mr. Johnson, affectionately known as “Gene” or “Little Willie from North Philly,” was a decorated Combat Veteran. At 17, he graduated from Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, shortly after, entered into the United States Army on Dec. 30, 1950.

He went on to serve in the Korean War where he was wounded and awarded a Purple Heart. He participated in the Korean Summer/Fall 1952 Campaign, the Third Korean Winter Campaign, as well as the Korean Summer/Fall 1953 Campaign, and earned a Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB), a Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge.

Upon his return to America, Mr. Johnson worked as a Philadelphia police officer, then went on to become one of only two Black people in Delaware to own a gas station after he bought an Arco Gas Station in Wilmington.

He was an avid lover of photography and alongside capturing family history, he captured Black history. A cherished moment in his career was his time working as a photojournalist for the sole African American newspaper in Delaware, the Delaware Valley Defender. Above all, he had an entrepreneurial spirit. He drove cabs, worked as a self-employed painter and worked in education at schools including DelCastle Technical High School, Howard High School and Marshall Elementary.

Mr. Johnson was a lifelong lover of football. He was a dedicated Pittsburgh Steelers fan and was delighted to play as a teammate on the Philadelphia Vagabonds. He loved to swim, and most of all, he loved traveling. He was a world traveler, but one of the things he loved most was to load up his green 1995 Buick and drive across the country to visit his relatives.

Mr. Johnson was also a lifelong member of several civic and Fraternal Organizations. He was a member of Prince Hall Masonic Lodge, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW), and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Reindeer (BPOR).

He will be deeply missed by all who loved him. In addition to his parents, Mr. Johnson was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Frances Smith, whom he married in 1955, his sister Dolores H. Janifer, and his daughter LaTanya Francetta Johnson.

He is survived by his brothers Antione D. Johnson, Thomas J. Dopson, Jr., Phillip Dopson, and his sister Mary Dopson; four of his children: Tyrone C. Johnson Sr., Derrick D. Johnson, Eugene “Butch” D. Hammond, and Ebony Johnson; his goddaughter Elizabeth Good; and Dianita Allen and Lisa MB Johnson whom he loved as his daughters. He is also survived by his niece Jocelyn Herrington, Esq.; his nephews Dr. Michael S. Parr and Gregory Parr; and his grandchildren Neva “Bunny,” Shawn, Cherie, Mary, Eugene, Antione, Marcus, Najiyah, TyLisa, Tyrone “T.J.,” Delano, Destiny and Ashley. He also leaves behind a host of great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.