J. Michael Johnson

J. Michael Johnson died, Friday, October 2, 2015 at the age of 70 after a short illness. He was born to wonderful parents, Louis and Carrie Johnson, as the youngest of eight children. He spent a wonderful youth on a farm and graduated from Shade High School. Upon receiving a BS in Engineering Mechanics from the Pennsylvania State University, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. While serving on Destroyers in Newport, RI, he met and married Gloria, his lovely wife of 46 years, and the greatest blessing in his life. Later as Chief Engineer of a destroyer in New York City, their daughter Laura was born; and while attending the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where he received a MS in Mechanical Engineering, their son Brian was born. Michael and his family spent the next five years living in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard where he was a Ship Superintendent and Docking Officer. After three years in Washington at the Naval Sea Systems Command where he was designated an Engineering Duty Officer qualified in Submarines and two year in Pearl Harbor at the submarine base, he concluded this Navy Career with four years at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in CA where he held several positions. Michael retired from the Navy in June of 1989 as a commander. Returning to the East Coast, he accepted employment at Electric Boat Corporation in Groton, CT. After doing some engineering work on the design of SEAWOLF Class Submarine, he spent seven years of the planning manager for design of VIRGINIA Class Submarine. In 1999, he and Gloria returned to Portsmouth, VA where Electric Boats assigned him to work at the Newport News Shipyard, assisting in the design of the FORD Class Aircraft Carrier. In recognition of his distinguished achievements, Michael was named a Centennial Fellow by the Pennsylvania State University in 2006. Retiring from Electric Boat in 2009, he and Gloria remained in Virginia and continued a busy life involved with their families and grandchildren, as members of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Chesapeake, serving on the Board of his Homeowners Association, consulting, volunteering, gardening, and traveling. High on the list of interests was Penn State football. He started attending games when his brother Ray was a student there, and in the spite of Navy assignments, there were very few years that he did not attend one or more games. However, the joy and focus of his life has always been his family; as a child with his seven siblings, as a young father, and an elderly grandpa. He is survived by his best friend and favorite artist, Gloria Estelle Schaffer Johnson; his wonderful and loving daughter Laura and her husband Jon Reagan, CDR USN (ret) of Portsmouth; his talented and loving son Brian and his wife Liz, of Little Rock, AR; and seven superb grandchildren; Michael Reagan, Peter Reagan, Elizabeth Reagan, Charlotte Reagan, Abigail Reagan, Timothy Reagan, and Louis Johnson. He is also survived by his sister Vanda Sweet of Anchorage, AK and two brothers, Ken Johnson and his wife Barbara of Vienna, VA, Tom Johnson and his wife Judy of Williamsburg, VA. A celebration of his life will be held at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church on Wednesday at 1 PM with visitation to take place one hour prior. Interment will be at Albert G Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to United Methodist Family Services of Virginia. 3900 W. Broad Street. Richmond, VA 23230. Phone. 804 353-4461 x1733.