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July 31, 2010
Services
Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 11 AM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Wednesday, August 4th from 2-4, 7-9 PM.
Russell N. Johnson age 84 of the Packanack Lake passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, July 31, 2010. His passing was quiet and peaceful while receiving the loving care of his wife Ruth who was at his side.
Russ was of proud Norwegian heritage.
His mother and father, Esther Hansen and Adolph Johnson, came to America as children and met through family already living here. They had a long and happy marriage and had a special relationship with their only child.
Russell was born in Kearny, NJ in 1926 during the depression. His father Adolf Johnson was an accomplished building contractor and that kind of work was devastated by the economics of the time. To support his family Adolph took a job in Brooklyn as a building superintendent and moved his family to Brooklyn. It was there that Russell received his formal education at the Brooklyn Poly Technical Institute.
After graduating from Brooklyn Poly Technical in 1944 and at the age of 18 he joined the Navy on May 18, 1944 and served as a Radioman Third Class on the USS Lea and later on the USS General J.R. Brooke. He was discharged at Lido Beach, Long Island, New York on June 14th, 1946.
He was employed as a senior drafting supervisor at Bechtel for twenty-five years. During that time he also owned Johnson Builders with his father. He then became a sales representative for Furon that sold electrical engineering equipment for twenty years. He finally retired from work in 1994.
Russ attended the Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park.
One of his great joys in life was sailing and he would often sail his own Penguin sail boat on Packanack Lake as well as on summer vacations at the sea shore in the bay at Wildwood Crest.
He was gifted with an extraverted personality with a good sense of humor that loved people and they in turn admired him and called him friend. Perhaps the finest dedication in his life was family. He will always be remembered as a dedicated husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Becoming a grandfather was especially important to him and he enthusiastically loved them with all of his heart.
In 1962 while at work he met a beautiful girl named Ruth Stagg, and after a four year courtship they married in November 1966 and had forty-four years of "dedicated and loving marriage" together.
Russell leaves to mourn his passing and to cherish his loving memory, his beloved wife Ruth (nee Stagg) Johnson; one son Russ Johnson of Clifton; three daughters Lynne Schapeler and her husband Stan of Plano, Texas, Lauren Dragnett and her husband Gene of Hackettstown, NJ and Karen Lepri and her husband Pat of Wayne.; seven grandchildren Kelley and David Chase, Brett and Brian Schapeler, Nicholas, Gianna and Patrick Lepri; two great grandchildren Brenden and Hanna Schapeler.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Russell's memory are asked to consider the Packanack Volunteer Fire Company No. 5, Five lake Drive West, Wayne, NJ 07470.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 11 AM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Wednesday, August 4th from 2-4, 7-9 PM.
July 31, 2010
Services
Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 11 AM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. Friends may visit with the family at the funeral home on Wednesday, August 4th from 2-4, 7-9 PM.
Russell N. Johnson age 84 of the Packanack Lake passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, July 31, 2010. His passing was quiet and peaceful while receiving the loving care of his wife Ruth who was at his side.
Russ was of proud Norwegian heritage.
His mother and father, Esther Hansen and Adolph Johnson, came to America as children and met through family already living here. They had a long and happy marriage and had a special relationship with their only child.
Russell was born in Kearny, NJ in 1926 during the depression. His father Adolf Johnson was an accomplished building contractor and that kind of work was devastated by the economics of the time. To support his family Adolph took a job in Brooklyn as a building superintendent and moved his family to Brooklyn. It was there that Russell received his formal education at the Brooklyn Poly Technical Institute.
After graduating from Brooklyn Poly Technical in 1944 and at the age of 18 he joined the Navy on May 18, 1944 and served as a Radioman Third Class on the USS Lea and later on the USS General J.R. Brooke. He was discharged at Lido Beach, Long Island, New York on June 14th, 1946.
He was employed as a senior drafting supervisor at Bechtel for twenty-five years. During that time he also owned Johnson Builders with his father. He then became a sales representative for Furon that sold electrical engineering equipment for twenty years. He finally retired from work in 1994.
Russ attended the Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park.
One of his great joys in life was sailing and he would often sail his own Penguin sail boat on Packanack Lake as well as on summer vacations at the sea shore in the bay at Wildwood Crest.
He was gifted with an extraverted personality with a good sense of humor that loved people and they in turn admired him and called him friend. Perhaps the finest dedication in his life was family. He will always be remembered as a dedicated husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Becoming a grandfather was especially important to him and he enthusiastically loved them with all of his heart.
In 1962 while at work he met a beautiful girl named Ruth Stagg, and after a four year courtship they married in November 1966 and had forty-four years of "dedicated and loving marriage" together.
Russell leaves to mourn his passing and to cherish his loving memory, his beloved wife Ruth (nee Stagg) Johnson; one son Russ Johnson of Clifton; three daughters Lynne Schapeler and her husband Stan of Plano, Texas, Lauren Dragnett and her husband Gene of Hackettstown, NJ and Karen Lepri and her husband Pat of Wayne.; seven grandchildren Kelley and David Chase, Brett and Brian Schapeler, Nicholas, Gianna and Patrick Lepri; two great grandchildren Brenden and Hanna Schapeler.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Russell's memory are asked to consider the Packanack Volunteer Fire Company No. 5, Five lake Drive West, Wayne, NJ 07470.
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