John Robert Johnson
SUMMERVILLE, South Carolina — John Robert Johnson of Summerville South Carolina passed away January 22, 2022. Born in Moscow, Idaho on March 6, 1954, Johnson was 67 years old. He completed his bachelors of science degree in forestry at the University of Idaho and his masters degree in forest biology at Virginia Tech in 1976. He spent two years in the Republic of Haiti completing his field research, then in 1978 moved to Brazil where he accepted a position in the Jari Project. It was in Brazil that John met his wife Michele.
In the early 1980s John and Michele relocated to Escanaba where John worked for Mead Paper. His children Ian and Danielle grew up in Gladstone. Following the merger of Mead Paper and Westvaco the family transferred to Summerville, South Carolina. Johnson worked in the Forestry Technical Group throughout the southern U.S. and assisted with the company’s overseas operations in Brazil and China.
Johnson retired in early 2016 and divided his time between the family’s Summerville home and their cabin on Round Lake. He enjoyed teaching and mentoring. He loved being outdoors, going on walks or gardening with the family’s dog by his side. He was an avid windsurfer, kayaker, biker, and cross country skier. He loved fishing and made several memorable trips to Alaska for salmon and halibut. He leaves behind many friends. He had a wonderful sense of humor along with a work ethic and grit that inspired others. His niece may have said it best: “What I know is he had an adventurous life, he had an amazing bunch of friends, and he was so funny. I hope he is now at the cabin sitting in his kayak drinking a beer and fishing. He will be missed dearly”.
He is survived by his wife Michele, son Ian, daughter Danielle, son-in-law Robert, and two grandchildren, Owen and Hazel.