Michael Redmond Johnson of Marshfield died suddenly on November 4, 2010 at the age of 64. Devoted husband of Jean Jager Johnson, father to Th¬¬omas R. Johnson of Plymouth, Sheila Johnson of Providence, and Nicole Johnson of Marshfield. Beloved grandfather of Kevin and Lauren Johnson and father-in-law to Erik Volpe and Kym Whitney Johnson. Survived by twin brother Malcolm Johnson of Seminole, Florida and Peter Johnson of East Bridgewater.
The son of a prominent physician, Mike grew up in Hingham, MA during the pretensions of the Eisenhower era but rejected that time and place by screeching the tires of his '62 Ford Galaxy 500 down Main Street. From an early age, Mike displayed a preternatural understanding of thermodynamic systems and quantum mechanics. Along with a B.S. from Northeastern and M.B.A. from Babson, he used his powers for good by converting them into useful manufacturing processes that relieved factory workers worldwide of alienation. As vice president of the Warren Communication, he won the hearts of workers by smashing the time clock with a sledgehammer. A free-spirited industrialist and Kenny Rogers look-alike, he enjoyed taking his free-spiritedness to the air in his rag-wing, stick-shift Citabria taildragger. He flew around the Northeast, touching down at small airports and grass airstrips, befriending mechanics and like-minded aviation enthusiasts. He was vice president at Oliver Wight Companies in the 1990s. He spent the last decade of his life fulfilling his dream of owning and operating Controls Plus USA, in Marshfield.
A memorial service will be held for him on Thursday, November 11 from 4-7pm at MacDonald Funeral Home at 1755 Ocean St, (rte 139) Marshfield, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pudding Hill Reservation through the Wildlands Trust, PO Box 2282, Duxbury, MA 02331.