The obituary, shown below, was copied from
https://www.vaughanguynn.com/obituary/3222217
(it may or may not still be available there)
Edward Eugene Johnson, Sr.
October 5, 1922 - June 25, 2015
U.S. Veteran
Edward Eugene Johnson, 92, of Galax, VA, passed away on June 25, 2015. Born on October 5, 1922 in Galax, Virginia, the son of Claude Swanson and Mary Matthews Johnson, he was raised in Kennett Square, PA. While attending Kennett Consolidated Schools, Gene excelled at academics, drama, and music as well as football, basketball, and track, and attended Washington College on full scholarship. After early graduation, he attended the University of Pennsylvania Jefferson School of Medicine, leaving to enlist as an officer in the Navy during WWII. During the war he received advanced training for the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams a precursor of today’s SEALs. He served as a Naval Gunnery Liaison Officer on the battleship USS Idaho in the Pacific campaign including the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant. In late 1945, Gene returned to California to continue this training in preparation for Operation Olympic, the planned first stage of the invasion of Japan which thankfully never materialized, and concluded his service aboard the USS New Jersey.
On September 28, 1945 Gene married Joan McCormick in Yuma Arizona, and they honeymooned at Hotel del Coronado, CA. After the war, Gene took a position as a chemist at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, living in Kennett Square, PA, and later West Chester, PA with his family. As an administrator at Wyeth, Gene traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, and South and Central America, establishing pharmaceutical factories for Wyeth Laboratories before taking a position as Vice President of International Development for Bristol-Myers Squibb. During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Gene traveled to 28 countries on 6 continents, returning with tales and reminders of his work and travels. Gene and his wife, Joan, lived in New Hope, PA., but memories of life in Baywood, Virginia with Grandparents, Major Avery and Sarah Jane Johnson and an opportunity to live on a ridge overlooking his Uncle, Jack Matthew’s, farm near Galax with a wondrous view drew them to Galax after Gene’s retirement.
Gene is survived by his loving wife of eleven years, Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Smith Johnson, and by children Barbara Rice of Hagerstown, MD; Patricia Johnson Plyler and husband, Hardy, of Ocracoke, NC; Mary Johnson Ramsey, of Albuquerque, NM; and Edward Eugene Johnson, Jr. and wife, Rona, of Little Egg Harbor, NJ; stepchildren Lisa Fiero Adams and husband, Jim, of Galax; Katri Fiero of Sarasota, Florida; Charles Fiero and wife, Sarah, of Fuquay Varina, N.C.; and sister, Mildred Loughhead of Oxford, PA. Gene was predeceased by his first wife, Joan.
Gene was very proud of his grandchildren: Josh Rosenstock and partner Daniel McCarthy of London, England; Zachary Rosenstock and wife, Patricia, of Chicago, IL; Marisa Trinka and husband, Jeremy, of Barnegat, NJ; Robert, Matthew, and Jenna Johnson of Little Egg Harbor, NJ; Kelsey Adams of Galax; Charles Adams of Denver, CO; and Tom and Sam Fiero, of Fuquay Varina, N.C.; and one great-granddaughter, Lola Rosenstock of Chicago.
A celebration of his life will be held for family and friends on July 4, 2015.
Memorial donations may be made to The Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association http://www.ocracokewatermen.org/. PO Box 1689 Ocracoke, NC 27960.