Lee Johnson

J. Lee Johnson was born August 28, 1971, in Fulton, KY. He is survived by his wife, Betsy Walls Johnson, of Santa Barbara, CA; his parents, Joe W. and Sharon Armstrong Johnson, who reside in Fulton, KY; his brother, Kevin Johnson of Castro Valley, CA; his Aunt Grace Sellers of Tampa, FL; his father-in-law, David Walls of Santa Barbara, CA; two sisters-in-law, Sarah Chimileski and Meaghan Lawes, both of Colorado; his wife’s grandmother, Leah Walls of Santa Barbara, CA, and numerous cousins. He was predeceased by his grandparents Ward and Sarah Johnson of Fulton and Ralph and Ethel Armstrong of Knoxville, TN and Fulton.

Lee graduated from Fulton High School in Fulton, KY as Valedictorian of the class of 1990. He graduated summa cum laude with a BA from The Principia College in Elsah, IL; earned a J. D. from the University of MO Law School in Columbia, MO, where he was a published member of the
Missouri Law Review; and received an LLM from the University of Miami (FL) Law School where he was first in his class. He was licensed to practice law in MO, IL, KY, TN and CA.

Having previously been a law partner with his father, Joe W. Johnson, in Fulton, KY, Lee had become a partner at Ambrecht & Associates of Santa Barbara, CA, and was concentrating in complex estates, trusts and associated tax matters. He worked with both U. S. and international clients. He also belonged to various associations in the legal community; was an active member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist of Santa Barbara; and a board member of the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra.

Music was one of the great loves of Lee’s life. Playing the hymns for his Sunday School while in high school as well as entertaining customers with dinner music at the Park Terrace Restaurant and
playing jazz piano with the KY Governor’s Scholars’ jazz band, he became an accomplished pianist at a young age. He continued to serve as Sunday School accompanyist at his church in Santa Barbara and enjoyed working on various pieces of music, including selections by Rachmaninoff, J. S. Bach, and Bear McCreary’s “Battlestar Galactica “ for solo piano.

All who knew Lee will cherish his ready smile, his quick wit, his ability to understand and explain the complicated, his quiet way of solving problems and bringing people together, and his genuine
interest in others. He has been a bright light in his personal and professional life; a supportive and devoted husband to the love of his life, his best friend and wife, Betsy; a source of love, joy and pride to his parents, Joe and Sharon, and his brother, Kevin; a thoughtful, enjoyable son-in-law, brother-inlaw, co-worker and companion; and a wise, competent and willing Counselor to those who sought his legal advice.

Memorial services will be held 11 am Saturday, August 9, 2014 at the
Trinity Episcopal Church in Fulton, KY.

Recognizing Lee’s dedication to music and education, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, P. O. Box 90903, Santa Barbara.
CA 93190, or to the Fulton Public Library.