Los Fresnos Remembers Its No. 1 Fan of Almost 30 Years

Since 1984, Edson Johnson has been a supporter of girls’ athletics at Los Fresnos High School, in an era when they did not get much support.

Girls’ basketball and volleyball had few followers when their programs started in the 1970s. But one person would go to all of their home games as often as he could — Edson Johnson, many times with his wife Sidney.

Mr. Johnson passed away Tuesday, December 10, 2013,  at the age of 94.

“He has been our No. 1 fan for many years,” Los Fresnos girls’ volleyball coach Becky Woods said. “His health has not allowed him to come as often in the last few years, but we always knew he would support us.”

Edson and Sidney, now 87, lived in Los Fresnos area for more than three decades. Sidney was a Reading and ESL teacher at Los Fresnos High School in the 1980s.

“The principal appointed me to be the faculty representative of the girls’ booster club,” Sidney remembered. “I told him that I needed some help, so Edson tagged along. Before you knew it, he enjoyed the games so much that he wanted to come to all of them.”

Sidney retired in 1991, but that did not stop Mr. Johnson from supporting the Lady Falcons.

“Hardly anyone would come to the games in the 1980s, so he wanted to show the girls that someone would always be there to support them,” said Paul Johnson, his son. He just loved to watch volleyball and basketball. Later when softball started, he would watch the softball teams too.”

Johnson was not only a fixture at the games, he and Sidney would make treats for the girls at practices as well.

“They would bring cookies, cupcakes and sliced apples for the girls just because,” Woods remembered. “There have been hundreds of girls who have played here who knew him and Mrs. Johnson very well.”

Johnson came to the Lady Falcons’ volleyball bi-district game against San Benito in November. Paul brought him to the game in a wheelchair so that he could watch his favorite team play.

“He would like to watch the Los Fresnos girls play when they were in Brownsville too,” Sidney said. “He would be trying to talk Paul into driving him to every game if he could.”

Johnson was the Registrar at Texas Southmost College in the 1980s, and supported volleyball at TSC and later UTB/TSC as well. Even after his retirement, he would go watch the Scorpions play their home games.

Johnson would also give the girls’ advice on playing their sports. Well past retirement, he continued to push students about the importance of attending college.

“Everywhere he would go and see young people, prior to passing away, he would be telling them what they needed to go to college, Paul said. “He was always pushing education.”

A memorial service was planned for Johnson at 11 a.m. last Saturday at Central Christian Church in Brownsville.