Willis Johnson, co-founder of largest Illinois-based theaters, dies at 86. He loved ‘being part of the fun’ with movie-goers

Downers Grover resident Willis Johnson died on Aug. 16, 2023 at the age of 86. He dedicated his life to the movie theater industry, and worked to revitalize historic buildings in communities. (Courtesy of Classic Cinemas)

Willis Johnson loved fixing things. The lifelong Downers Grove resident dedicated his life to it — between working on cars, volunteering, landscaping and building Legos with his grandchildren, there weren’t enough hours in the day.

But he’s more well known for finding and restoring historic buildings and turning them into movie theaters, which morphed into the largest Illinois-based movie chain and helped revitalize the local movie theater industry.