Harry George Johnson Jr.

Having had a full life with no remaining bucket list, Harry G. Johnson died peacefully at his home in Moss Creek on August 21, 2017. Having been instructed not to advise on his life as if he had lived “on the wings of angles”, here is a humble reminiscence of his rather remarkable life. Harry was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1932 and shortly thereafter moved to Chicago, IL, where he was raised throughout his youth. He graduated at 16 from Senn High School and traveled across the country in a Packard before enrolling in Wright Junior College in 1951. His college years were preempted by a call to service in the US Navy where he served as a fighter pilot in the VF-73 off the USS Midway. He served in the Korean War effort until 1955. He returned to the U.S. to graduate first in his class from the University of Georgia in 1957 before becoming a career pilot with Eastern Airlines; serving the company from 1952 to 1988. In 1972, Harry became a friend of Bill W. and remained so for 45 years until his death. He was an avid skier, spending a great deal of his winter leisure skiing the Rockies, Swiss Alps, and New England mountains with family and friends. He became a dedicated sailor from 1975 to 2000, and spent much of his early retirement deep water sailing all of the Eastern Shoreline and the Caribbean. He traveled extensively throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa upon retiring as well. Harry is survived by his wife, Mary Wilson Johnson, of 42 years, his step-children Suzanne Mastrion and husband Dominick, Eric Ouellette and wife Jennifer, his ex-wife Carol Valentine and their three children, Tom Johnson and wife Helen, Valerie Johnson, and Diane Wilbur. Harry is survived by 11 grandchildren: Tess, Sophie and Faye Hinteregger, Chloe, Lila, and Jensen Ouellette, Megan and husband Mark Deguisne, Errin and husband Colton Connolly, Ben Wilbur, Keids Fisher and Liz Johnson. He is outlived by his older sister, Betty Carlstrand of Melbourne, FL. His sister Marilyn Marshall preceded him in death. It is a good thing to be able to say you have done all that you had set out to do. Harry left this world stating that he had “No need for a mulligan”. In lieu of flowers, please donate per the deceased’s wishes to the Palmetto Humane Association as he loved his Papillions, Kramer and Maxwell. A celebration of his life will be held at the Moss Creek Clubhouse from 3:00-5:00 pm on Friday, August 25, 2017.