Eric Douglas Johnson passed away peacefully on Oct. 29, 2021, at Brookdale Senior Living in Chapel Hill, NC. He was 77 years old.
Eric was born on Aug. 25, 1944, in Salinas, CA, to Thelma Louise (Taylor) and Clarence Arnold Johnson. His two older sisters, Judy Miller and Carolyn Jones, lovingly referred to him as “Ricky” throughout his childhood.
Eric grew up in Kansas City, KS, and later graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in journalism, working throughout his life as a writer and editor. Eric met Susie while working for a local newspaper in Kansas, and they got married in 1968. They shared the same passion for the written word and went on to live and love together for 53 years.
In the early 1970s, looking for adventure, Eric answered a job advertisement from the Bermuda Department of Tourism. Upon accepting the offer, he and his wife Susie packed up their life in the Midwest, and moved to the island, where they lived for five years. A job offer from Carrier Corporation in Syracuse took them, with two young children now in tow, from the turquoise waters of Bermuda to the snowy winters of Cazenovia.
Throughout his tenure at Carrier, Eric worked as a technical writer, translating engineering jargon into eloquent, accessible language. As managing editor of the internal magazine, WeatherMakers, he wrote about the preservation of Peru’s Ampato Maiden. One of his favorite written works, which also won him an award and an excuse to buy a tuxedo that he proudly wore to the acceptance dinner, was on the conservation of the frescoes at The Sistine Chapel.
Cazenovia was Eric’s true home—it’s where he and Susie raised their children, nurtured lifelong friendships, contributed to the community and tended their expansive flower gardens. Eric was passionate about sailing, and he was one of the first racers in the Finn Class fleet at Willow Bank Yacht Club. Not even the time when a sudden swing of the boom knocked his front teeth from his head and Eric from the boat could detract from his love of the sport.
Eric’s love of the beach that started in Bermuda continued throughout his life. Once a year, whether in St. John USVI, Nevis or Aruba, you could find Eric plopped in a beach chair with a book, listening to the waves or swimming in the pristine waters. In addition to tropical destinations, thousands of photographs document Eric’s travels to countries across Europe, Africa and Asia.
After retirement, in 2015, Eric and Susie moved to North Carolina. Here he fueled another passion: zipping around town in his Mini Cooper, complete with racing stripes, which he bought himself for his birthday later in life.
Eric will be greatly missed by his wife, Susanne Johnson; children, Les (Leith) Johnson of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Erika (Heather Parnell) Johnson of Durham, NC; sister, Judy Miller; grandchildren, Liam Johnson, DJ Johnson, Cole Johnson Parnell, and Rhys Johnson Parnell; and many, many dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests charitable donations in memory of Eric be made to Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) or another Alzheimer’s or dementia research or advocacy organization of your choice.
We will celebrate Eric’s life at a ceremony in the near future, when we can do so safely and without pandemic restrictions.
The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. in Durham. Online condolences may be sent to clementsfuneralservice.com.
