He was 'one of the best guys in the business,” said his friend and fellow suburban theater owner Dino Vlahakis of the Pickwick Theatre. “He was a true showman.'
Willis Johnson of Classic Cinemas in the Lake Theater during a movie screening in Oak Park on Sept. 25, 2008.
“He was one of the best guys in the business,” said his friend and fellow suburban theater owner Dino Vlahakis, co-owner of the. “He was a true showman, hardworking, and one of the sweetest, nicest men I’ve ever met in this business. Always honest. His son, Chris, is the same way.” The Tivoli Theatre marquee in downtown Downers Grove commemorates the Aug. 16, 2023, death of Classic Cinemas co-founder Willis Johnson.
Johnson is survived by his wife, Shirley; his children Stephen, Kay, Chris, Wendy and Amy; his stepchildren Mary and Richard; 14 grandchildren; and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.“He always reached out to help people,” Chris Johnson recalled. “So many people would tell me stories: ‘Your dad bought me glasses.’ Or, ‘Your dad paid for me to get my teeth fixed.’ So many stories like that. He didn’t tell anyone about it, really. He just took care of it.
Willis and Shirley Johnson in the Willis & Shirley Johnson and Classic Cinema Research and Education Center on Jan. 20, 2014, in Elmhurst.
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