The death is announced of Mr. Lafayette K. Johnson, former Monrovia City Mayor and former Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry.
This sad event occurred at his Sophie Ice Cream Community home at six o’clock a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2016, following a brief illness. He was 77.
Lafayette Kwia Johnson, Jr. was born on July 20, 1939, the eldest of 11 children of former Treasury Deputy Minister L. Kwia Johnson, Sr. and his wife Naomi.
Like many young Episcopalians of the 1940s and 50s in Monrovia, Lafayette grew up in the Trinity Sunday School, which was run under the dynamic leadership of Jacob Henry Browne, Superintendent.
After completing Lab High, Lafayette entered the University of Liberia and later left for Switzerland, where he obtained the M.Sc degree in Economics.
He served at one time as Assistant Minister of Commerce and rose to Deputy Minister. During the Tubman administration, Lafayette assisted with French translations at the higher level of government.
He later served as Mayor of the City of Monrovia.
Lafayette later retired from government and he and his wife, Mrs. Magdalene Cooper Johnson, who, like the Johnsons, hailed from Maryland County, started a wholesale business called LAFMAG International.
According to the widow, the funeral is planned for Friday, September 16, at 10 o’clock a.m. at St. Stephen Episcopal Church, 10th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia.
Removal will be from the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, September 15 and taken to St. Stephen for wake-keeping.
His parents and a brother predeceased him.
Mr. Lafayette K. Johnson is survived by his wife Magdalene, several children, eight brothers, three sisters and many other relatives and friends.