NASSAU, The Bahamas - The Cabinet Office has announced a State Recognized Funeral will be held for former Member of Parliament Oscar N. Johnson, Saturday, January 2, 2010.

The service will be held at 2:00 p.m., at Bahamas Faith Ministries, Diplomat Centre, Carmichael Road. Interment is private.

Mr Johnson died, Tuesday, December 22, 2009, at the Princess Margaret Hospital. He was 76.

He was a Progressive Liberal Party Member of Parliament for Cat Island 1968-1977.

Mr Johnson was born at Dumfries, Cat Island, on July 8, 1932.

During his public career, he was also former chairman of the Bahamas Housing Authority (1970-1971) and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (1974-1976).

Mr Johnson owned the Craftsman Press and entered the printing industry at age 14 as an apprentice. His establishment encouraged many of the newspapermen of the 1950s and 1960s to get training.

In 1950, Johnson married Sylvia Ethlyn Roberts and had six children, inclusive of Cora Johnson-Cooper, former Speaker of the House of Assembly Rome Italia Johnson, Gladys Johnson-Sands, Oscar N Johnson Jr, Cathleen Johnson Hassan, and Dr Daniel Johnson.

The ?State? will sign the Book of Condolence between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., Thursday, December 31, 2009, at Demeritte Fealy Funeral Home, Market Street. Thereafter, the public will sign between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the same day and from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, January 2, 2010 at the Diplomat Centre.