[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 106 (Monday, June 24, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN REMEMBRANCE OF TIMOTHY MILLS JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 24, 2019

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in loving 
remembrance of, and in tribute to Mr. Timothy Mills Johnson, a longtime 
Capitol Hill staffer with our former colleagues Mike Oxley and Spencer 
Bachus, and the President of the Capitol Hill Tennis Club, who passed 
away late last year.
  Tim, as he was affectionately known on the tennis court and in the 
halls of Congress, was an outstanding staffer, great tennis player and 
instructor, but most importantly, a friend to so many staffers across 
both chambers and across the aisles--and friendship is essential to the 
soul.
  To say that his was a life ``well-lived,'' is the true meaning of 
understatement. But first, let me tell you a little bit about Tim.
  At an early age, Tim started playing tennis under the tutelage of his 
grandfather Nelson Turnell, a member of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of 
Fame, and his uncle Daniel Turnell, who played varsity tennis at the 
University of Mississippi from 1965 to 1968. Tim's competitive tennis 
career started at Jamestown High School, where he played for Coach Fred 
Natarelli. Tim had standout seasons in 1977 and 1978 as first doubles 
on the JHS team. In 1977, Tim was undefeated at first doubles playing 
in the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Tennis League.
  Following high school, Tim attended Syracuse University. He graduated 
in May 1982 with a double major in political science and broadcast 
journalism, was on the Dean's List for five semesters, and was inducted 
into Phi Beta Kappa, the academic honorary. During the summer of 1980 
in Jamestown, he prepared, wrote, announced and produced radio shows on 
news and sports for a radio reading service for the disabled carried on 
a sub-channel of WHUG.
  This led to Tim covering all five General Conference on United 
States-Soviet Relations at Chautauqua Institution from 1985 to 1989, 
traveling to the Soviet Union, and received numerous broadcasting 
awards for his efforts.
  Following graduation, Tim worked at WKSN radio and was active in the 
local tennis community until 1994, when he moved to Washington to work 
in Congress, as a fellow of the American Political Science Association. 
Tim worked as a legislative assistant to Congressman Mike Oxley of 
Ohio, who also was manager of the Republican Congressional Baseball 
team, an annual tradition popular amongst members of Congress, staff, 
and others. Tim became the coach and one of the principal organizers 
for the game, a position that continued for nearly 20 years. Tim also 
happened to be in the dugout during the tragic shooting at Republican 
baseball practice in 2017.
  For his work, Tim was quoted about the Congressional baseball game in 
a variety of publications, such as the Washington Post and Roll Call. 
He worked tirelessly, as an unpaid volunteer, to raise money by 
arranging for sponsors for the Congressional baseball game and was 
recognized in 2014 by the respective team managers for his years of 
contribution to the game, ranging from shagging balls at 6:30 a.m. 
practices to organizing the distribution of charitable giving.
  Tim completed his career on the Hill in the office of Congressman 
Spencer Bachus, serving as Communications Director until retirement.
  While Tim was a presence on the Hill during the week, for almost 30 
years he served as president of the Capitol Hill Tennis Club, which 
worked closely with the charity efforts of numerous tennis-related 
organizations such as the Cystic Fibrosis Celebrity Tennis Gala, the 
Thanks USA, the Washington Kastles, the Foundation for Prader-Willi 
Research, Hope Street Kids, and the Washington Tennis and Education 
Foundation (WTEF). For the WTEF, Tim helped organize an annual 
celebrity tournament where members of Congress, professional tennis 
players, Congressional staff, community leaders, and others played to 
raise money for critical causes around the country.
  For many years, as part of his duties with the CHTC, for countless 
weekends in the hot sun of our nation's capital, through his diagnosis, 
Tim had one of his toughest duties keeping the peace among spirited 
Capitol Hill staffers as he fed them tennis ball after ball, rain or 
shine, and more often than not, helping someone perfect a grip, shot, 
or foot movement on the tennis court with his trademark patience and 
equanimity.
  Madam Speaker, right now, Tim is in Heaven, serving, and is up 40-
Love, but instead of raining down another serve, he gently guides the 
ball over the net so as to keep the ball in play and enjoy a long rally 
as he did for so many of us during his sojourn here.

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