John Edgar Johnson

JOHN E. JOHNSON (Age 97) On Wednesday, January 28, 2015, John E. Johnson of Falls Church, VA, passed away peacefully at Capital Caring Hospice surrounded by his children. He had been ill since December 22, 2014. Beloved husband of the late Elizabeth L. "Betty" Johnson, he is survived by his devoted son John D. Johnson, daughters Marilyn A. Johnson and Joann L. Edwards (John R. III); grandchildren Elizabeth A. Patterson (Ray) and John R. Edwards IV (Kim); great-grandsons Jack Eli Edwards and Robert Asher Patterson; and many nieces and nephews. John was a native of Springfield, Illinois (the state capital and Land of Lincoln). His parents each immigrated from Sweden as young adults. They met and married in Illinois, and settled on a farm in Andrew, near Springfield. John was the youngest child with three sisters. Sadly, his father died when he was eight years old. He lived with an uncle for a short period after his father's death. He attended a one-room school house in the country, until his mother moved into the city. There, he had a paper route during his school years. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1935. The following summer he worked on an older cousin's dairy farm. After high school, he attended business school in Springfield. John came to Washington, D.C. in 1939 to work for the federal government. He began his civil service career at the Navy Department, and went to night school at George Washington University, where he earned an associate degree. He served in the U.S. Army from April 1943 through March 1946. After the war, he returned to civil service at the Navy Department, resumed night studies at GWU, and earned his bachelor's degree in 1949. He also sang in the men's chorus of the GWU Glee Club. He met his wife Betty in his hometown through mutual friends. They married there in September 1949, and the couple returned to Washington. He transferred to the Department of Labor in March 1950. John and Betty moved into their house in Falls Church in May 1950, and welcomed their twins in August. Joann arrived in November 1951. During the years his children were growing up, his passion was carpentry and woodworking, which for years he applied to home remodeling and furniture-building projects with fine-honed skill. He always enjoyed music and was a stamp collector for years. After 40 years of federal service, he retired from the Labor Department's Office of Personnel in January 1979. In retirement, he was an avid reader, walked several miles daily, kept a vegetable garden into his 80s, volunteered to deliver Meals on Wheels, and was active on committees and as an usher at Dulin United Methodist Church, which he attended since 1951. When his wife Betty passed away in June 2009, they had been married for almost 60 years. On Thursday, February 5, a visitation at 1 p.m. followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m. will be held at Dulin United Methodist Church, 513 E. Broad St., (Rt 7) Falls Church. Interment at Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dulin U.M. Church or Capital Caring (www.CapitalCaring.org/join-us/donate).