NORTHAMPTON, MA – Vernon E. Johnson, 88, of 12 Butternut Lane, Northampton, Mass., passed away Aug. 24, 2005, at his son’s home in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida. He was born in Hampden, Jan. 20, 1917, the son of the late John and Maude (Wilson) Johnson. He was raised in Maine, educated in local schools, graduating from Old Town High School and also from the University of Maine in 1941. He joined the U.S. Army serving with the HQ Company. He saw action in the Asiatic and Pacific theatres of operations. He was decorated for meritorious service with the Bronze Star, received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action and also received the Victory Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Theatre Campaign Ribbon. He had resided in Northampton for many years. He worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 36 years as a Soil & Water Conservation expert retiring in 1976. He was a communicant of Blessed Sacrament Church, a longtime member of the Fraternal Order of the Elks No. 997 and after retirement had worked as a volunteer at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital all in Northampton. His beloved wife, the former Alice Miller, passed away in June of 2000. He leaves two sons, Robert Johnson of Haverhill, Mass. and John Johnson, with whom he was staying in Lauderdale by the Sea, Fla.; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by three sisters, Florence Dinsmore, Mildred Rose and Hilda Taylor; and a brother, John Johnson. Funeral Services will be 9 a.m. Saturday from the Czelusniak Funeral Home of Northampton, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church. Burial will be 2 p.m. Sunday in Lawndale Cemetery, Old Town. Calling hours will be 4-7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Donations may be made to the Blessed Sacrament Parish, 336 Elm St., Northampton, MA. Local arrangements by Birmingham Funeral Home, 438 Main St., Old Town.
VERNON E. JOHNSON
