Hjalma E. Johnson was born in Manatee County, Florida on August 16, 1934, and passed away on November 22, 2023, at the age of 89.

Hjalma was, first and foremost, a family man, totally devoted to his wife of 64 years, Laura McLeod Johnson, until her passing in 2021. They met in Greenville, Florida where they both attended high school, and where both were Valedictorians. They had one child, Leonard H. "Len" Johnson, married to Nancy Brock Johnson, and two wonderful grandchildren, Brock H. Johnson (Courtney) and Paige J. Dingman (Chris). They were blessed to enjoy three great grandchildren: Davis Dingman, Virginia Dingman, and Carter Johnson.

Hjalma was a Florida Gator through and through, having graduated from the University of Florida College of Engineering, with a degree in Industrial Engineering with high honors. His love for UF never wavered, and he served on several boards at his alma mater, including serving as President of Gator Boosters, Inc. He was a season ticket holder for more than fifty years, and a Bull Gator, but his favorite role, known to many Gator fans, was Lord of the Rings.

Hjalma proudly served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army, stationed in Europe in Army Intelligence in the early 1950's. His dedication to the military was a lifelong passion, as he was a dedicated supporter of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and its Countering Terrorism Center since the early days of its formation after the tragic events of 9/11.

Hjalma excelled across the board, and his working life was no exception. After initially working as an engineer, including several years with IBM in Birmingham, Alabama, he was hired away to a marketing job with Exchange Security Bank (now Regions Bank). This began an extraordinary 45-year career in banking. He was recruited to be the President of the Bank of Pasco County, a small community bank in Dade City, Florida, in 1970, and moved his family back to Florida, where the family remains. He was involved in founding several community banks across Florida in the 1970's, most notably including the Bank at Ormond By-The-Sea in Ormond Beach, Florida.

In addition to working with community banks, he went on to serve the banking industry in Florida, and nationally, having been the President of the Florida Bankers' Association, and the Chairman of the American Bankers' Association.

Hjalma's legacy is marked by total dedication to his family, faith in God, leadership, patriotism, and a strong passion for whatever he was involved in. He is greatly missed by his family, but reunited in heaven with the love of his life.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at the First Baptist Church in Dade City (37511 Church Ave, Dade City, FL 33525).

Flowers will be gratefully accepted or those that wish may make donations in his memory to the First Baptist Church of Dade City or the University of Florida Foundation (https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/012979-machen-florida-opportunity-scholarship-aka-mfos/), for the benefit of students who are the first in their family to attend college.

First Baptist Church of Dade City