William T. Johnson Obituary (2020)

William Treby Johnson III 1953-2020 Billy Johnson died Sept. 22, 2020, at his home in North Monmouth. Born Sept. 7, 1953, in Augusta, he was the oldest of four children of the late Treby and Anne Johnson. Never married, he has no known children. Billy went to school in Augusta before graduating in 1972 from Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield. He worked summers for the family business, Stone and Cooper Fuel Co., then operated his own business, Lewiston-based TV Rentals. In 1983 he moved into the personal computer business, first as part of the team at Capitol Computers, in Augusta, and then as a founding member of Northern Micro Computers. Most satisfying to him, however, was his subsequent self-employment as a freelance technician, mainly working on Apple Macintosh computers. He enjoyed working with elderly customers who relied on his exceptional talent to keep their computer equipment running. His approach to computer repair was down-to-earth. He knew that the customers’ skills and confidence were large factors in being able to operate their equipment successfully, so before he left a site, the hardware was fixed and so was the customer. He had a huge inventory of hard-to-find computer parts scattered all over his house and barn. They might have looked like junk to others, but to Billy they were treasures. Those who didn’t know him found him to be a country boy full of jokes, quips and stories that were delightfully sweet and incredibly funny. His easygoing attitude enabled him to make friends effortlessly. He seemed not to forget a name or face. If you knew Billy Johnson at all, you understood he was a lot more brilliant than his casual sense of humor revealed. To his oldest and dearest friends, he was affectionately known as Muttley. The antics and troubles that they got into over the years are well worth telling. With this in mind, his siblings, Tom, Jane and Peter, with the help of friends, plan to announce and host a celebration of Billy’s life at a time and place yet to be determined. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a private, simple graveside service will be held at the Johnson family plot at Forest Grove Cemetery off Blaine Avenue in Augusta. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop where condolences to the family may be shared on the obituary page of the website at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com