Bruce Johnson Retired Channel 9 News Anchor and Reporter for WUSA and WTOP TV Has Died

Bruce Johnson, the retired Washington, D.C. TV broadcast journalist has passed away. He worked in D.C. television at Channel 9 for 44 years. He died April 3 at a hospital in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He was 71.

The cause was a heart attack, said his wife, Lori Smith-Johnson. In April 2018, Johnson ended one of his WUSA9 newscast announcing that he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was taking a hiatus to undergo chemotherapy. He returned to the air later that year and retired in December 2020. (Read more about Johnson's distinguished career at the Washington Post)


Majic 102.3/92.7 WMMJ afternoon hosts Donnie Simpson and Tony Perkins post their thoughts on Twitter:

I just had @brucejohnson9 on my radio show to promote his new book last month. I’ve known him for more than 40 years and he was one cool brother. 1st Class!! He will be greatly missed.

RIP Brother!! 🙏🏾🕊 https://t.co/zyVNR7D6Q9 pic.twitter.com/JAlRseuU3K

— Donnie Simpson (@DonnieSimpson) April 4, 2022

We lost a truly dedicated journalist and a great man yesterday. Bruce Johnson taught us all so much—about being a good story teller, and about LIFE. I’ll never forget his generosity with advice and guidance. What a good man. Rest in Eternal Peace, Bruce. 💔 pic.twitter.com/YN08pKMTbZ

— Tony Perkins (@TonyPerkinsFMTV) April 4, 2022

Bruce Johnson in his own words-- from November 2020




Johnson's WUSA9 Colleagues Remember