Sean Carlyle Johnson

The beloved son of Dr. Maureen Hackeling Johnson and Dr. William Carlyle Johnson, Sean was born in Raleigh and grew up in Cary with his parents and two older sisters, whom he treasured and loved dearly.

Sean attended Highcroft Elementary, Salem and Mills Park Middle Schools, and Panther Creek High School. For college, he completed coursework at North Carolina State University and Wake Technical Community College, where he was pursuing a degree in cybersecurity. He worked as a lifeguard, pizza delivery driver and computer programmer. Sean had a brilliant mind and a wide range of interests. He had a great appreciation for music, art, history and politics, auto repair, and he recently found new passions in disc golf, cooking and unicycle riding. Through each of his jobs and interests, he cultivated a network of close friends who loved him for his warmth, loyalty, kindness and wonderful sense of humor. Many of his friends have told us that Sean was their best friend, and we know that Sean considered each of them to be his best friend as well.

Sean is remembered by all as a kind, sensitive and caring person whose compassion for others was influenced by his own struggles. He had a deep empathy for those who were misunderstood, lonely or who faced discrimination, including those impacted by mental illness and addiction. He found relief and joy through close friendships and humor, and often said that his one goal in life was to be happy and to make others happy. In that goal, he truly succeeded—he brought much laughter, joy and love to others, and we believe he would want us to carry his legacy forward by continuing to help others. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Sean’s memory to Healing Transitions (healing-transitions.org) or other organizations that work to improve the lives of people with mental illness and addiction. We also ask that you carry on Sean’s mission of supporting others through friendship and laughter. In Sean’s memory, please reach out to anyone you know who is alone, suffering or who is in need of support.

Sean is survived by his parents, sister, Breanna Johnson (Ben Keepers) of Chapel Hill, maternal grandparents Charles and Mary Hackeling of Weston, CT, and paternal grandmother, Rev. Glenda Johnson of Raleigh, and he is predeceased by his paternal grandfather, Dr. William H. Johnson. Sean was fortunate to have a large extended family that surrounded him with love and support throughout his life, including Dr. Richard and Archna Johnson of Chapel Hill (Lena, Raeva), Stephen and Deirdre Hackeling of Lloyd Harbor, NY (Stephen & Christine, Sean, Patrick & Jenn, Katherine), Michael and Christine Hackeling of Wilmington, NC (Gavin & Hallie, Jennifer, Emily, Justin), Drs. Kevin and Susan Crowley of Weston, CT (Brian, Colleen), Aldo and Denise Succetti of Cary (Robert; Timothy, Jazmine & Matteo), Frank and Marianne Uribe of San Diego, CA (Sean, Julianne), Michael and Kathleen Miller of Seneca Falls, NY (Connor, Hannah, Heidi, Darren, Bridget, Holly), and Drs. Mark and Tracy Curzan (Sean, Claire, Kate).

A celebration of Sean’s life will be held at 11:30am on Wednesday, August 19 at Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, 3008 Old Raleigh Road, Apex, NC 27502. In consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the family wishes to ensure the safety of all who participate in the service. Those who attend in person are asked to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing, and the service will be live-streamed on the church’s YouTube channel.

A livestreaming of the Funeral Service for Sean will be accessible at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUgAMyiPmP7pFXgfYLPMVRQ