Obituary of Richard Craig Johnson

Dick was born in Ann Arbor, MI, on October 29, 1937, the son of Dr. Kenneth Johnson and his wife Mary. He grew up in Lansing, along with his brother, David, and graduated from J.W. Sexton High School, where he was an honors student, a three-season varsity athlete, and president of the student body.

He attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a bachelors degree cum laude in 1959. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia and served as Decisions Editor of the Virginia Law Review. From 1962 to 1966, he was an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, assigned to the Pentagon. He enjoyed living and working in D.C. during the Kennedy administration and retained indelible memories of attending the March on Washington.

During this time, he met and married his wife, Sandy, and they lived in Alexandria, Virginia, while he completed his service at the Pentagon. After his discharge from the Navy, Dick and Sandy moved to Houston, where he joined the storied law firm Baker Botts as an associate in 1966 and became a partner in 1972. Meanwhile, he and Sandy started a family, welcoming daughter, Emily, and then twin sons, Christian and Mark, two years later.

Dick spent most of his professional life practicing corporate law at Baker Botts, specializing in securities offerings. In 1985, he became the managing partner of the new Dallas office, which he helped build into the powerhouse it is today. In 1997, he was elected as Managing Partner of the entire firm, the first from an office other than Houston. During his tenure, the firm continued growing, opening an office in London and strengthening its intellectual property, energy, and technology practices. Dick also guided the effort to develop a firm-wide strategic plan, which led to a merger with the Miller Cassidy firm in D.C., shortly before his retirement in 2002. According to a recent firm-wide remembrance, he was “known as much for his intelligence as he was for his friendly demeanor.”

Dick also loved language and had a terrific sense of humor. With effervescent wit, he was often the life of the party. Although he relished the company of good friends, he was a devoted homebody, whose favorite pastimes included relaxing with his family, watching college sports, lingering over the Sunday papers, running in Memorial Park, reading a good book, and savoring Sandy’s excellent cooking.

In retirement, he continued to visit his downtown office occasionally and served on multiple fund boards at Salient Partners, a private investment firm in Houston. He and Sandy enjoyed traveling, especially to Maine, where they eventually built a second home. Dick loved exploring coastal Maine, dining near the shore, and spending long afternoons on his porch, reading the paper and watching neighbors walk their dogs.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sandy; his daughter Emily, of Brunswick, Maine; his son Christian and daughter-in-law Marguerite and their children, Kate and Gray, of Houston; and his son Mark and daughter-in-law Natalie and their children, Savannah and Sidney, of Dallas.

The family will host a celebration of life on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024, from 1 pm to 3 pm at Joseph J. Earthman Generations, 234 Westcott Street, Houston, Texas.