Robert W. Johnson

DYER CHAPEL-Robert (“Bob”) W. Johnson, age 81, passed away on Friday, August 21st , 2026. He is survived by his wife of thirty years, Sandy Johnson; his daughter Amanda; his stepsons Gene, Nick; his granddaughters Georgia, Freya, and LeighAnn; his sister-in-law Peggy; his nephews Eric, Stephen, and their families; his niece Suzie and her family; along with beloved cat Fergus and beloved dog Oscar.

Bob was born on July 30th , 1945 in New York to Margit Elvira Johnson and Ernest Johnson. The youngest of three children (sister Linda and brother Thomas), he grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and spent much of his childhood in neighboring Snedens Landing along the Hudson River.

Bob spent his career as an engineer, inventor, designer, and consultant. After graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Bob secured his advanced degree in Automotive and Product Design at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Around this time, he conceived of a sleek, fast, and gorgeous green racecar that he proceeded to build, by hand, in his parents’ garage and subsequently drive around town. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, he moved to Virginia Beach where he worked within Admiral Rickover’s Nuclear Engineering Division at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He then lived for many years in New York City before moving to Connecticut to further his career in automotive design, product design, and engineering. After some time living in Illinois, Arizona, and Delaware, he eventually moved to and retired in Tennessee.

Bob was a stoic, intelligent, and quiet man with an eye for detail and an obsession with precision. A “behind the scenes” visionary, he conceived of, designed, and created numerous items and innovations that are part of our daily lives. He shaped products in a variety of industries. He developed optimizations for the 760 Volvo, VW Rabbit, and Mack Truck. He also invented, developed, and designed everything from radios, keyboards, espresso machines, an auto-feed orange juice machine, a restaurant logo, a vertical chicken rotisserie oven, modular airport seating, airline serving-ware, and a patient simulator used to train students in medical schools. One of the two patent holders of the George Foreman Grill, Bob also went on to engineer and design related products, including a quesadilla maker and a sandwich press. He later founded an LED light company to help accelerate the adoption of energy efficient bulbs. His most cherished invention is the remote-controlled life-sized robot that he built for his daughter Amanda in the 1980s.

Bob was most at peace when listening to opera, building model submarines, “hacking” Ikea furniture, reading mysteries and works of history, and eating Swedish smoked licorice. He believed deeply in the beauty of minimalist, efficient, and practical design, and followed a design philosophy that championed mass utility over elite exclusivity. He will be lovingly remembered.

No services are planned.

Dyer Chapel Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements (931)526-7158. Share condolences and memories at www.dyerfh.com