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Clifford Lemme Johnson Jr., age 92 passed away on Sunday, June 30, 2024, surrounded by his loved ones at the Retreat Hospice by Saad. Clifford was born September 16, 1931 to Clifford Lemme Johnson Sr., and Ophelia Apperson Johnson. He is preceded in death by his parents and wife, Madeline Rhodes Johnson; sister Miriam; son, John Dee Johnson, daughters Patti Johnson and Debby Tillman Johnson; sisters-in-law Evelyn Golemon, Ellen Thompson, Pat Stork, Minnie Lee Johnson, and Christine Bosarge; brothers-in-law Frederick Nelson, Curtis Golemon, and Charles Stork. Clifford was born in Mobile, Alabama but spent the first 8 years of his life in Galveston, Texas before his family settled in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. He spent his whole life on the family property on the shore of the Bayou until Hurricane Katrina flooded out the family home for the last time and they moved to Irvington. Clifford attended Peter F. Alba where he played football for the last 7 man football team earning him the nickname of "Toad" and he also played basketball and baseball. He served as a United States Marine from 1950-1953 and served over a year in the Korean War with the 1st Marine Division after which he received an honorable discharge as a Lance Corporal in November of 1953. Clifford and Madeline were married in 1952 when he came home on leave and raised Buster, John Dee, Debbie and Patti in the home Clifford grew up on the Bayou. Clifford went to work at Marine Bulk Handling shortly after being discharged from the Marines. He was trained as a crane operator and spent the next 44 years working there until his retirement at 67 years of age. During that time he also worked side jobs such as fishing, clearing land with a bulldozer and working on lights on water towers around the area. During oyster season he and his brother in law Curtis would oyster and open them up in the back yard and sell them to people all over the area. Cliff loved being on the water. He would go cast net fishing for mullet or gigging for flounder. He caught many pounds of both. Clifford developed a love of the water at a young age and especially loved cast net fishing and he taught his sons and grandson how to throw a cast net and spent countless hours knitting his own cast nets and cast nets for many others. He also changed out the blown lights on the water towers around the Bayou La Batre area and would put up a Christmas tree on top of the water tower at the mouth of the Bayou. Clifford and Madeline traveled all over the country with Madeline's sister Minnie Lee. They traveled all the way to the West Coast to Seattle, Washington and back East to Upstate New York and National Parks all over the country. When their grandchildren turned 12, Cliff and Madeline would take them on a trip to the Smoky Mountains and spend time with them. Clifford is survived by his children, Clifford "Buster" Johnson, III; Debra Beckham(Johnny); daughter-in-law Annette Johnson; grandchildren Tammy Teer(Ryan); John Beckham(Carmen); Kristin Nolan(Michael); Tricia Bosarge; Lisa Havard(Tony); Jenny Thomas(Brandon); Jadi Mallet(John); Wade Sullivan(Brenda); Deanna Sullivan; Keith Sullivan (Nina); 23 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren; brother-in-laws Willie Thompson, Victor Johnson and Ricky Bosarge and many nieces and nephews; best friends Danny Nelson and Otis Collier. Clifford will be greatly missed by his family, friends and loved ones. No one could give a better hug than our Dad, Paw Paw and Uncle Cliff. The family would like to give special thanks to all the wonderful staff at The Retreat Hospice by Saad. The care and love shown to Clifford and the family during this difficult time was beyond exceptional. A visitation for Clifford will be held Saturday, July 6, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Serenity Funeral Home, 8691 Old Pascagoula Rd., Theodore, AL 36582, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM. Clifford will be laid to rest in Oddfellows Cemetery.

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Clifford "Cliff" & "Toad" Lemme Johnson Jr.

September 16, 1931 - June 30, 2024