John Daniel Johnson, born in Flint, MI and residing in Charleston, WV the last eighteen years, died at Charleston Area Medical Center, surrounded by his family, on March 19, 2024, at the age of 90.
Loving husband to Claire and proud father of seven, John was born on April 25, 1933 to Frank and Margaret. John graduated from the University of Michigan, where he had been awarded a fellowship in chemistry. John and Claire married in 1957 and began raising their family in Ann Arbor, MI.
In 1970, the family moved to Beaumont, TX, where John was the first employee of Helena Laboratories, helping grow the company into a global leader in its field.
Wherever he lived, John was an active member of his Church community, including eighteen years at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Charleston. John’s faith motivated his loving approach to life and his lifetime commitment to building a more peaceful world.
John was an avid photographer and developed his own photos for many years. Though his children sometimes squirmed to be photographed so frequently, they now treasure every remembrance he left them.
Both in Beaumont and Charleston, John joined his wife Claire for local quilt guild meetings, where they frequently served as elected officers. His quilts, and the quilts he and Claire designed and sewed, frequently won quilt show prizes. John’s quilts were known for their bright colors and nature scenes, often featuring frogs.
John’s daughters remember and honor him especially for his loving nature, open mind and heart, scientific innovation, artistic creativity, and playful nature. They appreciate that he valued family over career and are thankful that John was a mountain of stability and love on whom they could always rely.
John is survived by his wife, Claire Johnson, and their children: Mary Johnson (Lucas Lund), Kathryn Johnson (Carl Offutt), Cynthia Joy (Corwin Joy), Margaret Johnson (Murat Cil), Samira Heather Johnson (Stefan Fuegi); and his sister, Heliene Houdek (Gary Houdek). John was predeceased by his daughter, Dorothy Johnson Scheiman (David Scheiman), and his son Joseph Johnson.
John was lovingly cared for by his daughter, Kathryn, and her daughter, Jenny Hock, who loved her gramps fiercely. Other grandchildren include: John Hock (Allysa Hock), Isaac Fuegi, Gabriel Joy, Noah Cil, Sarah Cil, and Ethan Joy.
John’s Memorial Mass will be March 26, 2024, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 305 E Street, South Charleston, WV. Family and friends will gather to remember John at 11:00, followed by the Memorial Mass at noon, and a lunch in the church hall.
John’s Memorial Mass will be live-streamed on Blessed Sacrament’s Facebook page.
Donations may be sent in John’s honor to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Charleston.
Memories of John may be shared by visiting http://snodgrassfuneral.com and selecting the obituary. Arrangements are in care of Snodgrass Funeral Home, South Charleston.