Ray Johnson, the basketball star who helped lead a dynasty at South Kingstown High in the 1960s and went on to the state’s biggest stage at Providence College in the 1970s, has died. He was 76.
The Friars paid tribute to Johnson via social media Wednesday. An obituary posted online by the Avery-Storti Funeral Home said Johnson passed away last Thursday.
Johnson was born in Narragansett and lived there for most of his life. His surviving family members include brother Charles Johnson and his wife Mary Ann, sister Sandra Johnson, daughter Raye Anne Johnson-Seiger and her husband, Gary, niece Kasey and nephew Max, and his former wife, Jacqueline Smith.
Terry Lynch, the athletic director at South Kingstown, remarked late on Wednesday, “I used to see him at the beach all the time.” We would converse. A really polite and modest man, considering the actions he had taken.
Six decades ago, the Rebels played in Class C, which was designated for the lesser schools in the state. A core that included the 6-foot-7-inch Johnson and other All-State picks Bradley Webster, George Peckham, and Bill Hazard allowed them to rise above their stature. The team went undefeated in 1964–65 and 1965–66, which marked the beginning of three straight Interscholastic League titles.
Future Providence colleague Ernie DiGregorio stated early on Thursday that “he had a legacy.” “I think a lot more people knew him as a high school athlete than as a college athlete.”
It was slippery going into the first title drive. In the semifinals and championship game, South Kingstown managed to overcome two more unbeaten teams, Rogers and Sacred Heart. Johnson scored 28 points and pulled down 23 rebounds in five overtimes during the championship game, which ended in a 65-61 win for him.
While trying to replicate, the Rebels realised that it went more smoothly. They defeated four opponents in the state tournament by a total of 132 points, including Sacred Heart in a rematch, which they easily won 69-46. Prior to joining the Friars, Johnson attended prep schools at Tabor Academy and North Yarmouth Academy.
Johnson started his collegiate career when Providence bench boss Dave Gavitt replaced Joe Mullaney. By the time Johnson graduated in 1970–71, the Friars were about to become well-known across the country. They finished 20-8 that March, winning one NIT game at Madison Square Garden and losing the other to North Carolina.
Lynch stated, “I believe he’s one of those guys who was underappreciated in the state.” “My dad [Richard] always talked about him, so I always knew who he was.”
As a sophomore, Johnson averaged 10.4 rebounds and 9.9 points. As a junior, he improved that to a double-double with 11.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. Some of the most notable players of that era, like DiGregorio, Jim LarranÃaga, and Nehru King, were teammates of Johnson’s during his tenure with the Friars…
“People who played with him really appreciated his overall sacrifice and dedication to winning,” DiGregorio said. “You couldn’t meet a better person in your life. The guy was top-notch.”
Johnson played in 77 games at Providence, and his rebounding average of 8.6 per game still ranks 13th all-time. He led the Friars on the boards in his first two years, topped them in field goal percentage in 1968-69 and compiled eight double-doubles. Johnson recorded the 13th 20-20 game in program history, closing with 24 points and 20 rebounds in a March 1969 meeting with Seton Hall.
One of Johnson’s first games with Providence was played against perennial power UCLA at Madison Square Garden. It was a homecoming for New York native Lew Alcindor, who later became one of the sport’s all-time professional greats as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bruins took care of the Friars and went on to win the national championship, but Johnson drew immediate praise for the way he battled Alcindor in the paint.
“He played at the highest level and against the greatest players,” DiGregorio said. “He definitely held his own and proved himself as a force.”
Johnson’s 663 career rebounds at Providence place him ahead of fellow alums such as Marques Bragg, Rodney Bullock, Austin Croshere, Marty Conlon and Marcus Douthit. He was one of several in-state recruits in his era to help Providence establish itself as a regional factor. The next wave included future program legends like DiGregorio, Marvin Barnes and Joe Hassett.
“We had that little chip on our shoulders,” DiGregorio said. “We knew we had to prove our worth and that we were good enough to play at that level. He definitely did it.
“I had a lot of teammates in my life, but you wouldn’t see anyone who sacrificed more and someone who was more unselfish.”
Johnson spent nearly three decades as an officer with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections and later worked as a youth mentor at Ocean Tides. He was inducted into athletic Halls of Fame by both North Yarmouth Academy, where he also played football and lacrosse, and the Interscholastic League. His natural sporting differences with Lynch, a former football player at the University of Rhode Island, were good-naturedly put aside in Johnson’s later years.
“I think one of the first times I went up to him, I said, ‘I’m a URI guy — I can’t really like PC,’ ” Lynch said. “He just laughed.”
Calling hours will be held from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at 88 Columbia St. in Wakefield. In lieu of flowers, Johnson’s family has asked for donations to be made in his name to the Providence College Friars Basketball Fund.
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