A Heart For Community

In Memoriam

Thomas H. Johnson III (1956-2024)

Read more about an incredible champion for Somerset, Perry County and all of Appalachian Ohio.

Mayor of Somerset. Dreamer. Doer. Innovator. Inspirer. Through his words, actions and deep commitment to community, Thomas H. Johnson III taught us one person really can make a difference, in their lifetime and beyond.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Tom was living and working in London, England, at a banking job that had him traveling all over the world. He had even worked in the World Trade Center.

Tom had always planned to return to Somerset in Perry County, where he grew up and his father had been mayor, but the time had not yet been right. In 2001, he decided it was time to slow down and move back to his hometown and his family to see how he could make a difference.

Upon his return, Tom realized Perry County was not receiving as many resources as other areas – in part, he believed, because of the philanthropy gap. He immediately set his sights on serving his community and began joining community organizations, writing grants to help the village of Somerset secure stimulus funding and, in 2009, was elected mayor of his hometown.

As mayor of Somerset, he led numerous projects to bring funding and resources into his community, including the Genesis Perry County Medical Center. His desire to personally invest in his community led him and other champions of Perry County to establish the Community Foundation for Perry County (CFPC) at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio in 2012.

“Even when I was overseas, I wanted to make a planned gift that would benefit the community I was from,” Tom said. “The only vehicle I had was my will, but my goal was a permanent endowment, so it would be around for the community’s benefit for a longer period of time.”

Through CFPC, he knew everyone with a heart for Perry County would have a permanent and lasting way to invest in its communities.

But Tom didn’t stop there.

A dear friend to FAO, Tom was a collaborator in its goal to ensure every county in Appalachian Ohio is supported by a local foundation, a changemaker who helped secure funding to launch FAO’s Growing Home Fellowship and one of the region’s greatest champions.

His unparalleled life of giving lives on in the countless investments he brought into his community and across Appalachian Ohio. In the community resources he inspired. And in his thoughtfully crafted planned gift, which, through CFPC and FAO, is supporting nine organizations he started or served.

Tom’s last gift to the people and communities of Perry County is supporting four existing funds – the Perry County Hunger Relief Fund, the Perry County Single Parent Support Fund, the Somerset Community Fund and the Somerset Horticultural Fund – and created five new funds:

• The Perry County Park Board Endowment
• The Somerset Builder’s Club Fund
• The Somerset Courthouse Building Fund
• The Somerset Emerald Necklace Fund
• The Somerset Reading Township Fire Department Fund

With deep gratitude, we celebrate the life and legacy of Tom Johnson, today and always.

FAO’s Child of Appalachia Award honors those whose stories are exceptional examples of what Appalachian Ohioans can achieve and those whose commitment to Appalachian Ohio has paved the way for remarkable achievements by the people who call our region home. Tom embodied the spirit of the award to its fullest and was recognized posthumously as FAO’s 2024 Child of Appalachia Award recipient.