Funeral service Monday for Masters icon ‘Hootie’ Johnson

Services for W.W. “Hootie” Johnson, a giant in South Carolina banking, government and sports, are set for Monday in Columbia.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3200 Trenholm Road. The S.C. native died Friday at age 86.

Johnson helped create Bank of America, the nation’s second-largest bank; chaired Augusta National Golf Club, the home of The Masters, for eight years; helped lead the effort to desegregate South Carolina’s colleges and universities; and directed the state Ports Authority.

He served briefly in the state General Assembly and supported political candidates from both parties, including Republicans U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond and Gov. Carroll Campbell along with Democrats U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings and Gov. Robert McNair. A University of South Carolina running back in the 1950s, he was a major supporter of the university for decades.

Johnson is survived by his wife Pierrine, four daughters and their families.

This story was originally published July 16, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Funeral service Monday for Masters icon ‘Hootie’ Johnson."