Craig Wallace Johnson

Craig Wallace Johnson, 66, of Indianapolis, Indiana passed away on May 16, 2020. He was born June 15th, 1953 to Richard Greene Johnson, Sr. and Agnes Campbell Johnson in Honolulu, Hawaii. Craig grew up in Los Angeles, California and enjoyed his formative years at Highland Hall Waldorf School. He loved to reminisce about his ballroom dancing classes and had trophies to prove his prowess.

Craig followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and his father and enrolled at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in the Fall of 1971. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and was a leader on campus, serving as President of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Captain of the swimming team. While attending Centre College, he made many lifelong friendships.

Following his time at Centre, Craig received his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and began a career with the Prudential Insurance Company of America. Craig quickly rose to a management position in the real estate investment division after being transferred to the Indianapolis branch.

In 1985, Craig established Centre Properties, a specialty real estate firm with expertise in the development, leasing, and management of retail properties. Under Craig’s leadership, Centre Properties developed more than 2.2 million square feet of retail property at multiple locations throughout Central Indiana. Craig also provided his time and resources to support various charitable and civil organizations. These groups include the Big Brother and Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts of America, Indianapolis Junior Tennis, Park Tudor School, Marian University, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Herron School of Art, the Institute of Humane Studies and Centre College.

Craig had many hobbies as well. Craig was an avid swimmer as well as social tennis player. He enjoyed reading books on history, self-improvement, westerns, and spy thrillers. He always had a love of cinema as well, with some of his favorite films being Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, The Magnificent Seven, King Kong, The Naked Gun, and Airplane. The hobby he most enjoyed was art. Craig enjoyed viewing, collecting, and creating art. His usual personal medium was canvas, but he was never afraid to try something new or creative.

While Craig had many activities and engagements, what he held most dearly was his family. He was always there to provide comfort and assistance. Whether it was helping to build a new storage shed, attending swimming lessons with his granddaughter, or flying to Colorado to bring a pet back to Indiana, he was there for his family.

He is survived by his three children: Anne Katz (Matt), Charles Johnson (Tera) and Sam Johnson, three grandchildren: Jennie Katz, Lincoln Johnson and Theo Katz, two step grandchildren: Jacob Wilson and Jonah Wilson, and three siblings: Carole (Jim) Bultema, Dick (Barbara) Johnson, and Holly Johnson in addition to numerous nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews.

In lieu of flowers we have established the Craig W. Johnson Memorial Fund and contributions can be made at www.craigwjohnsonmemorialfund.org.

A memorial celebration date will be announced in the coming weeks.