George Johnson Obituary, Death – The news that George “Johnny” Johnson, the last surviving member of the infamous Dambuster’s Raid, passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 101 has left us with crushed hearts. Hearing this news has left us in a state of tremendous sorrow. On October 16, Johnson, 83 years old, formerly of Mountain Lakes and Bay Head, New Jersey, passed away in a calm and serene manner.
It was on June 7th, 1939 that he was born in Dover, and he spent his childhood in Lower Berkshire Valley. George was accomplished in the areas of athletics, scholarship, and music. In 1957, he received his diploma from Roxbury High School, where he had received honors. He earned varsity letters in track, football, and wrestling, and he also served as president of the student council during his time there. In addition to that, he enjoyed performing with his band.
The Tunedusters, on the saxophone. George went to Knox College, which was located in Galesburg, Illinois, and served as President of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity during his time there. After receiving his diploma from Knox College, he rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle all the way back to his home state of New Jersey in order to enroll at the Rutgers Law School in the city of Newark. He succeeded academically during his time at Rutgers Law School, where he was elected President of his graduating class and received his degree in 1964. While working a summer clerkship at the Jersey Shore, George fell in love with the woman who would become the love of his life, Lois.
On February 14, 1964, they tied the knot. Soon after finishing law school, George enlisted in the United States Army and worked his way up to the rank of captain throughout his service. Fort Gordon in Georgia was his duty post at the time. Following his discharge with honor, his family relocated back to New Jersey. Following in his father’s footsteps, George joined the family law practice Johnson and Johnson, which had been formed in 1929. In 2006, his son Bill started working for the company. He was an active member of the Morris County Bar Association, where he eventually became President of the organization. Always attentive to the needs of his customers, he frequently put in long hours well into the night. He worked in the field up until the year 2021, when he finally stopped.
George was a person who volunteered his time and was a leader. He held the position of Borough Attorney for the town of Wharton for a considerable amount of time. Both the Dover Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Dover have elected him President in the past. He served as President in both organizations. He was a member of the Vestry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dover, where he was also active in the church. Both George and Lois spent their entire lives at Mountain Lakes, remaining there right up until their deaths in 2009. He got involved with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and served on the Vestry there for a while.
George served on the Board of Directors of Dover General Hospital for a number of years after the hospital merged with St. Clare’s Hospital. He also served on the board during the time that the hospitals were combining their operations. He had served in the role of Executive Director for the Republican Committee of Morris County. In addition to that, he was an active participant in the Juvenile Conference Committee that was held in Mountain Lakes.