Paul Pollard Johnson, Jr., 75

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Paul (“Peter”) Pollard Johnson, Jr. of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 75, passed away on July 13, with family by his side. Paul was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Saunderstown, R.I., where he developed a deep appreciation for, and a love of, the ocean. An avid sailor, he spent his youth on the water, teaching sailing and eventually competing in races like the Newport Bermuda Race. He tried to instill the same love of sailing to his daughters and even though they never did become elite sailors like him, they love the ocean and will never be able to live in a land-locked state.

Paul had a storied career in manufacturing and entrepreneurship. An alumnus of Colorado College, where his practical joking techniques were honed, he started his career in manufacturing at Brown & Sharp back home in R.I. He soon graduated from the smallest state in the union to the wider world with Singer Sewing Machine, placed in Campinas, Brazil. He grew up working for them all over the world for more than 20 years and attended the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management Executive Program, but the sea was calling and his entrepreneurial ambitions took over. Paul and his wife Concé started a shrimp farm in the Dominican Republic, while living in Puerto Rico, but decided that the U.S. would provide their 5th grader better educational opportunities. They founded Fun in the Sun Yacht Charters in Dania, Fla., and he was never happier tinkering with engines, masts and sails and sailing to the Bahamas whenever they could during the slow season. But high finance and multi-national manufacturing called him back and he planted himself in cold Indianapolis for another 10 years working for Thompson Electronics (formerly RCA). But the cold got to him, he retired, and they moved back to sunny Florida where he could swim every day. He kept himself busy, proudly helping young entrepreneurs at SCORE, West Palm Beach. He loved relaying stories of the difference that SCORE was making and admired his fellow volunteers. His laughter, love of a party, slide shows from travels around the world, fish-tale stories and practical jokes will be missed by his family and friends.

He is survived by his loving wife, Conceicao Perusso, three daughters (Priscilla J. Wong of Darien, Conn., Lela Johnson of Wickford, R.I., and Constance Johnson of Inglewood, Cal.), as well as many extended family members. He is pre-deceased by his parents Paul and Luella Johnson and a sister, Judy Catmur.