Bruce Johnson, 71, died on March 3 at the age of 71. He rose to prominence as a news anchor on CBS station WUSA9 for 44 years. He will be remembered for his years of devoted service as a Washingtonian who had a significant influence on the DC region. On Twitter, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser paid homage to Bruce, writing:
“Bruce Johnson was a DC journalistic giant, a father, grandpa, spouse, and proud author.” He, like many Washingtonians, has been a part of my life since I was a child, bringing the news and giving DC citizens a voice. I’m devastated. “Rest in Peace.”
Bruce Johnson’s cause of death
Johnson died of heart failure in Delaware on Sunday morning, according to WUSA9. He has, however, dealt with a similar problem in the past. In 1992, he had a heart attack while reporting a news story in Washington, DC. His cameraman drove him to a nearby hospital when he felt a constriction in his chest. Doctors discovered that he had had a major heart attack, sometimes known as a widowmaker. As part of his rehabilitation, he prepared for and ran the 26.2-mile Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.
Career
He graduated from Kentucky State University after three years and started his broadcast career on WCPO-TV. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northern Kentucky University in 1973. Johnson subsequently went on to acquire a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Cincinnati.
In 2018, he returned to NKU as the graduation speaker and was granted an honorary doctorate degree. He belonged to the National Press Club, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi. He was also a national champion for heart attack and cancer survivors. Bruce joined WUSA9 TV in 1976 and went on to become an award-winning anchor and reporter for significant news events from Washington, D.C. He co-anchored Channel 9’s weekly broadcast at 6 p.m. and Off Script with Bruce Johnson.
He wrote the book Heart to Heart, which included his experience as well as the comeback tales of 11 other male and female cardiac survivors. It was released in China by the People’s Medical Publishing House, and he promoted it in Beijing and Shanghai. Johnson published All Or Nothing: The Victor Page Story in 2012. It followed the lives of Victor Page, a former NBA hopeful.
Twitter users give their respects.
Throughout his career as a newscaster, Bruce grew in popularity with the general people. When the news of his death broke, the public and prominent people paid respect to him on Twitter. Johnson is survived by his wife Lori, three children, Brandon, Kurshanna, and Carolyn, as well as three grandchildren.
Man I didn’t even realize he had retired. 🙁
RIP Brucehttps://t.co/hhSofL1l5J
— Chris Chester (@ChrisBChester) April 4, 2022
RIP Bruce Johnson @wusa9
— CED! (@CEDUnstoppable) April 4, 2022
