Franklin ""Butch"" Johnson's Obituary
Rudder Funeral Home ~ 256-437-2971
P.O. Box 525 ~ 45015 Alabama Highway 277
Stevenson, Alabama 35772
Franklin Talle "Butch" Johnson
Nov. 13, 1949 ~ Jan. 26, 2010
Chattanooga, TN originally from Bridgeport, AL
Franklin Talle "Butch" Johnson, 60, one of the South's exceptional potters, teachers and friends, died suddenly January 26, 2010 in Chattanooga, TN. A practicing potter and designer for over 34 years, Talle was known for his strong technical skill and creative artistry. He often said that the form of pottery was his passion, followed by integration of the surface. His dedication to precise, yet creative form resulted in his work being displayed at galleries across the region. He also received numerous design, pottery, craft show, and teaching awards. His work can be found in private, corporate and university collections. He was recently awarded a Master Craftsman Grant by the Tennessee Art Commission and the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists. Talley taught pottery workshops for educators, artists-in-residence, graduate students, elementary to high school students, and all levels of pottery students. Born in Bridgeport, Alabama, Talle received a bachelor's degree in art from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and a master's degree in art education from William Carey College in Gulfport, Mississippi. Most recently, he owned Talle Johnson Pottery in Flintstone, Georgia. Hurricane Katrina forced him and his family to return to Chattanooga in 2005 after living 12 years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In Mississippi, he had been a professional pottery artist, teacher and partner at Bay Clay Studio, a partnership with the city of Bay St. Louis. Before that, he was artist-in-residence and head of ceramics at William Carey College. Previously he had been a professional pottery artist and gallery owner in Jackson, TN, and an adjunct pottery instructor at UTC. Preceding him in death were: his father Walter Frank Johnson and mother Willie Talley Cox Johnson and faithful dog Miller. Left to mourn his passing are his wife, Dr. Cheryl Robley, daughter Kelly Johnson of Sherman Oaks, CA, son Will (Amy) Johnson of Gulfport, MS, granddaughter Sydney Johnson, sister Joanna Martin of Athens, AL. Also grieving are his hundreds of relatives, friends and students across the Southeast. Rudder Funeral Home of Stevenson, AL assisted the family in making final arrangements. A private service will be held at a later date.
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