Former Wisconsin Rep. Johnson, who spent 32 years in TV journalism, headed US Mint, dies at 66

Ex-Wis. Rep. Johnson, longtime TV journalist, dies

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Former Wisconsin Rep. Jay Johnson, who spent three decades as a television journalist before jumping into politics and heading the U.S. Mint, has died. He was 66.

Johnson passed away Saturday night of an apparent heart attack at his home in suburban Washington, D.C., family spokeswoman Danielle Bina said Sunday.

“He could just light up a room,” said Bina, who shared the anchor desk with Johnson in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Green Bay. “He could work a room like no one I’ve ever met. … I would categorize him as having the biggest heart of anyone in the business.”

Johnson spent 32 years as a journalist in Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan before running for Congress. The Democrat was elected to Wisconsin’s 8th District in 1996, and served on the House transportation and agriculture committees. He lost after one term to Republican Mark Green.

President Bill Clinton nominated Johnson to serve as director of the U.S. Mint in 1999, a position he held from May 2000 to August 2001. The next year he started Jay Johnson Coins and Consulting, where he developed a major wholesale coin sales program for a national bank, according to a biography on his Web site.

Before entering politics, he worked as an anchor and reporter at WLUK-TV and WFRV-TV, both in Green Bay. He also worked in markets in Florida and Michigan, and spent time as a disc jockey in Texas. The Michigan native also served in the Army as an information specialist from 1966 to 1968.

Bina, who used her maiden name, Kegel, when she worked with Johnson, said the two have remained friends over the years and just spoke a couple of weeks ago.

“Jay had a sense of humor and an outgoing, wonderful people-sense that was second to none,” Bina said. “He was a kind, patient, wonderful guy.”

Johnson is survived by his wife, JoLee, and two stepchildren. Funeral arrangements were pending Sunday.

On the Net:

Jay Johnson Coins and Consulting: jayjohnsoncoins.com