A Testament to the memory of the late Hobbie “Sule” Johnson

A Testament to the memory of the late Hobbie “Sule” Johnson

6/18/51— 7/27/15

“Sule was a man’s man to say the LEAST. I have been with persons of the opposite sex but I have never been with a ‘MAN.’ Sule made life worth living and turned my life completely around (for the better.)

“Oh how upset I would be when he would wake me up at 4 a.m. and tell me, ‘Let’s go for a walk on the beach.’ I would say to him, ‘Baby, it’s Saturday. You know this is the only day I get to sleep in.’ Then I would think about the peace, love, solitude, and love we would share on the spectacular mornings watching the horizon and God’s most magnificent creation rise above the ocean line, and we would feel the glory and the sense of being the only creatures on this earth.  I love you Sule and even in death, we will never part.” His wife Dale

“I met Sule in 1988 at Earl and Theresa Hall’s wedding. He was a young photographer and I was an up and coming videographer. We hit it off quite well. In the ensuing years, Sule came to be the premiere photographer in South Florida and was the first Black photographer to introduce digital photography in South Florida. I learned what I know about photography from him. He had a great sense of humor and although he stuttered, he never let that become a handicap for him, as a matter of fact he thought it was cool. Sule was my friend and will always be my friend.”

John Robinson, CEO JoRo Photography Studios

“Sule was one of a kind, ‘a man’s man’ as complex as they come yet as straight forward as you needed him to be. I feel like we grew up together, experienced the various stages of life that brought us to a place where we were on the same page! God first, family, friends and most importantly ‘the least of these’. Sule never met a stranger and would help any and everyone who approached him with a legitimate need. We would have been friends for more than 40 years.”

Windell Paige, Longtime Friend

“Sule was a man of few words; it just took him so long to say them, however his work, professionalism, and spirit spoke volumes to who he was a servant and friend.”

Bobby R. Henry, Sr., publisher, Westside Gazette

“We had a sincere relationship. I met a guy who owned a small business like myself, who wanted to provide good quality service for his customers. That’s how we became friends.”

Woodrow “Woody” Poitier -Client and Friend

…“I met Sule while volunteering for State Representative Perry Thurston’s annual softball tournament. We had similar businesses, Sule’s In Loving Memory Plaques and my Angelic Monument Headstones so we both provide a final tribute for the deceased…. No matter what he was standing by me without me ever having to say a word or having to ask.  He was just there with an open heart always offering a helping hand and a lot of jokes and laughter..”

Gina Hankerson-Friend

“Sule was indeed the ideal neighbor. People who lived around him were not just neighbors but friends. Since moving into the neighborhood several years ago not only did the house he shared with Dale, undergo a renaissance so did the entire neighborhood. Everyone became more friendly and we all looked forward to seeing Sule out in his yard on daily basis.  He was the heart of the neighborhood and he will surely be missed.”

Wayne Alexander -Friend