Karl Morgan Johnson

Karl Morgan Johnson was born on December 28, 1937 in Sharon, Pennsylvania and died peacefully at home with his family on August 17, 2023. He was the third and last child of Henry and Maude Johnson. His parents bought a small farm on the edge of Sharpsville, PA where he spent his childhood. He was an active member of the youth group at Clarksville Presbyterian Church. One of the highlights of his youth was attending the Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge, PA in 1950. As a young adult Karl joined a local Grange in Mercer County. During a bus trip to a Grange youth camp, he met his future wife.

Karl graduated from Hickory High School in 1955. He spent two years attending the University of Michigan, then two years working at Westinghouse Electric in Sharon, PA as a shipping clerk. He finished his formal education in August 1962, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Youngstown University. He was always interested in learning new things and attended several classes in computer technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, and later classes at Glendale Community College in Arizona.

His entire working career was spent in the telephone industry, designing switching systems.

His first job was at Western Electric (AT & T) in Chicago. In 1965 he was hired by GTE Automatic Electric in Northlake, IL. He worked for that same company, which underwent several name changes, until he retired in January 2000. In 1980, he was in a group of five engineers who won an award for designing a new computer-operated switching system.

Karl married Marilyn R. Tait of Mercer, PA on July 24, 1965. They resided in Chicago until they purchased a home in Lombard, IL, a suburb of Chicago. During his residence there, he was elected as a Village

Trustee where he served 2 years until his employer moved the entire company to Phoenix, AZ. In Arizona, Karl was a willing volunteer and an active member of the choir and bell choir at Chaparral Christian Church, an officer and volunteer in the Phoenix Lodge of the VASA Order of America (a Swedish cultural society), an active member of the Family History Society of Arizona, and was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution.

Over the years, Karl had many hobbies. He was completely immersed in his whatever his current hobby was and when finished he explored each new activity with equal enthusiasm. Hobbies included: ham radio, model railroading, sports car racing, target shooting, hunting, woodworking, photography, and genealogy research which was probably his latest and greatest. He enjoyed participating in company bowling and golf leagues and had a lifelong love of puzzles (except jigsaws). When he retired in 2000, he and Marilyn enjoyed local, national and international traveling with the Saguaro Club at Chaparral Christian Church. He was famous in the group for his “photography vest” in which he kept lenses and filters, etc.

Karl was preceded in death by his parents, Maude and Henry V. Johnson, Sr. and his sister, Mary Louise Bennett. He is survived by his brother Henry V. Johnson, Jr.; his wife of 58 years, Marilyn R. Johnson; his children Erik D. Johnson, Kristan M. Breu (Brian), Lynn M. Seppala (Scott); and his five grandchildren: Parker Breu, Spencer Breu, Taylor Seppala, Tate Seppala, and Zachary Seppala. A graveside service for the immediate family is planned for August 28, 2023 at Phoenix Memorial Park & Mortuary with a celebration of life to be held at a future time.

The family would like to thank Hospice of the Valley for the care and compassion they showed Karl in his final days.