Sheriff Randall Johnson retires with flourish

Sheriff Randall Johnson retires from his 32-year service as Fayette County Sheriff with a flourish.

The dictionary uses the word “flourish” figuratively as to be in the best time of life or activity.

He has spent all of his 68 years in the same spot in Fayette County, in the northernmost corner, almost in the next county.

His late father, Charlie Johnson, spent his work career at Arrow Shirt Company, and his mother, Lydia West Johnson, worked at the same place. His parents had known each other all their lives and grew up in the same area as Randall.

Randall walked to the nearest elementary school at Bethsaida, and later went into Fayetteville for school. He is a graduate of Fayette County High School, class of 1960. He invited his graduating class of some 40 persons to his retirement party this past Saturday, and about a quarter of them were on hand.

When asked what he thought he wanted to do in life when he was a high school senior, Randall replied that he always knew he wanted to be in law enforcement.

In fact, at his retirement luncheon this past Saturday, classmate Clive Hardy recalled that Randall announced at graduation that he would be sheriff here one day.

At his retirement next month, he will have served in that position here for 32 years.

He went to work at the age of 19 with the state of Georgia. He was not old enough to become a state revenue agent until he was 22, and spent the next 13 years on the road, busting up those slightly illegal liquor stills. Georgia is ripe with creeks and streams, and he had plenty of sites to visit. At 22, he was then the youngest revenue agent.

Now, every good law enforcement officer needs a good wife. He was in court one day in Fulton County, and noticed a very attractive girl who was there to pay a speeding ticket. He managed to find out she was from Rocky Face, Ga. He had to look that up and discovered it’s near Dalton.

He was at Shoney’s in College Park one day, and there she was again. This time he was not going to let her go without getting a phone number. In February 1968, they were married.

They are the parents of two girls, Melissa Johnson and Beth Johnson Anderson. They have two grandsons. The 6-year-old grandson led the pledge of allegiance at his grandfather’s retirement luncheon.

When asked to name several things he’s the most proud of, Johnson said that he has always been lucky to have good employees and to see them do well. He has seen that they had the best law enforcement schooling available and as a result many cases, including murders, have been solved.

“I’ve been lucky, too,” he said, “that Fayette County hasn’t had too many renegades.” A couple of those he has arrested in the past asked him if they could attend the retirement party if it wouldn’t embarrass him. He felt they had voted for him as sheriff, in spite of the past, and that they would be welcome.

He is looking forward to being able to stay at their vacation home at West Point, Ga., fishing to his heart’s content, and not having to rush back to work.

A career he loved, the girl of his dreams, and children and grandchildren that have made him proud: indeed, Randall Johnson has lived and will continue to live life with flourish.

[Carolyn Cary is the official historian of Fayette County and writes regularly for The Citizen.]