Mr. Stafford James Johnson's Obituary
Stafford James Johnson was born December 12, 1942 in Houston, Texas, the oldest son and second of four children born to Stafford and Jessie (Castilow) Johnson. Lovingly called Buddy by his closest family members, he was an intelligent and precocious child who grew into a book-loving, erudite student. Stafford excelled at his studies at Blackshear Elementary and Yates High School before earning admission and a Jones Scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin.
A proud Longhorn in the first major wave of integration at the State of Texas’ premiere institution of higher education, Stafford devoted much of his time at UT organizing and leading the Kappa Interest Club. Unfortunately, during his time on campus, the club did not have enough members with the requisite grade point average to charter a fraternal chapter.
Stafford graduated from UT-Austin on May 29, 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences. He was recruited by Geophysical Services Inc. to join its Dallas office as a surveyor. That same year, Sylvia Annette Williams, honored Stafford by accepting his marriage proposal and becoming his wife on August 21, 1965 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church.
Their marriage was blessed with two children, Noel Christopher and Lauren Denise. Though their life paths eventually diverged after 20 years of marriage, Stafford and Sylvia’s love for their children never ceased.
In 1969, Stafford began his distinguished career at IBM, which included several promotions that moved the family to Gaithersburg, Maryland and the San Francisco Bay area. His thirst for knowledge and professional growth led him to pursue and earn a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
He was proud that Noel and Lauren earned their undergraduate degrees at UC Berkeley before earning juris doctorates – Noel at the University of Pennsylvania and Lauren at the University of Southern California. But his love for Cal didn’t lessen his joy and pride in his only grandchild, Noe Sophia, and her acceptance of Stanford University’s offer of admission for the Class of 2029.
Stafford’s 23-year climb up the corporate ladder at IBM ended with his early retirement in 1992. But, in mid-life, he reinvented and reinvigorated his career when, in 1995, he joined Bank of America as a senior vice president in Northern California. At that same time, he and his siblings Rosalie, Robert and Herman were coping with their parents’ long-term illnesses and mourning the loss of them just two months apart from each other.
To honor their parents, the siblings funded for a decade a college scholarship program at their childhood church, Christian Home Missionary Baptist Church, to benefit the next generation of the Third Ward congregation striving to attend and graduate from college.
Stafford entered a later-in-life union with Nancy Smith Criner in a November 23, 2005 civil ceremony. The legal dissolution of that union began in October 2023, though it was not formally concluded at the time of his passing.
An avid genealogist, Stafford traced the lineage of his parents’ families and found the longevity of the Johnson and Castilow families in Texas extended for generations. His other passions were reading and collecting nonfiction literature, listening to smooth jazz, hiking nature trails, and cheering on the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors.
Stafford took his last breaths on February 4, 2025 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center after a 19-month battle with cancer and other ailments. He was preceded in death by his parents Stafford and Jessie Johnson and his beloved daughter Lauren.
He is survived by his son Noel Johnson (Jennifer); granddaughter Noe; son-in-law Jason Walker; sister Rosalie Buggs (Ralph) and brothers Robert (Tish) and Herman (Nancy); nieces Shannon Buggs Harrison and Lauren Buggs; nephews Denton (Stormy), Michael (Shawna), and Christopher (Farhat); grandnieces Stori Johnson, Avery Harrison, Peyton Johnson, Eliza Johnson, and April Johnson; grandnephews Devin Teesdale, Ryan Johnson, O’Neal Harrison, Zaeem Johnson, and King Johnson; as well as numerous other relatives and friends.
Stafford leaves behind a community of family and friends who loved him and will miss him.
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