Charles K. Johnson's Obituary
Charles – or Chuck as he was known to family, friends and co-workers – was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in West Los Angeles and attended Beverly Hills High School. He began his college career at UCLA, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. His college career was interrupted by WWII and he joined the Army. He served his country by helping small, devastated French and German towns re-establish civilian rule as the Allies pressed into Germany. Having found his passion in foreign affairs, after the war he completed his education on the GI Bill, graduating with Great Distinction from Stanford University, with a BA and a Masters’ Degree in International Relations. His master’s thesis – Denazification in Post-war Germany – was published in 1948 by the Stanford University Press. He then joined the US Foreign Service, moved to Washington, DC, and met his companion for life Ruth Reed. They were married in 1954 and traveled together to his first posting in what-was-then West Berlin.
Chuck and Ruth had three children in Berlin, a fourth in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and a fifth in Charles’ next posting in Milan, Italy where he served as economic counselor. Charles’ background in political economy earned him his next assignment overseas as political officer in the US mission to the European Community in Brussels. His final overseas posting was a second stay in Milan, this time as Consul General of the American Consulate. Charles retired from the Foreign Service in 1985, but continued working for the Department of State on freedom of information requests, scholar inquiries, and classified documents. He retired from this work two years ago.
As part of the greatest generation, Chuck was a true witness to and participant in history. He embodied all the greatest qualities of that era's selfless devotion to family, friends, and country. He saw Babe Ruth play baseball, hung out with Tommy Dorsey, and met John F Kennedy as a speechwriter on the famous Berlin visit in the early 1960’s. Most importantly, he was a dedicated husband and father – devoted above all to treating everyone he met with a level of kindness, respect, and decency that is increasingly rare in our modern society.
Chuck was an accomplished piano player and loved classical music, jazz, and musical theater. He saw Oklahoma! premiere on Broadway in 1943. He introduced his children and grandchildren to his love of musicals and family occasions often included singing show tunes around the piano.
Having grown up on the coast of southern California, he passed to his children and grandchildren his love of the beach and the ocean. Most summers, you could count on a family vacation to some sandy setting, including Lignano Sabbia d’Oro, Italy; Nieuwpoort, Belgium; Forte dei Marmi, Italy; Bethany Beach, Delaware; Southern Shores, North Carolina; and Lake Chelan, Washington.
Chuck was also an accomplished traveler. He and Ruth were dedicated to showing their children the monuments of historic Europe. After he retired, Chuck traveled widely to discover new wonders in Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Vietnam, Laos, Eastern Europe, Guatemala, and Russia. He also returned frequently to Italy with his great friends Jody and Nicholas Long. He loved travel photography and his kitchen wall was covered with onion domes, landscapes, and Venetian canals.
He is survived by his children, Karen Johnson Lukacs of Chincoteague, VA; Bruce Reed Johnson of Frederick, MD; Lauren Johnson Edeline and her husband, Patrick, of Ashburn, VA; Mark Kobler Johnson and his wife, Suzanne, of Seattle, WA; and Keith James Johnson of Portland, OR. He delighted in his ten grandchildren, here in birth order: Helen, Leah, Christine, Luke, Alexandra, Claire, Grace, Julia, Ruth, and Anna. And he leaves behind his great friend and sister-in-law, Eleanor Kassebaum of Indianapolis.
Charles, Chuck, Dad, Opa: we love you dearly and will miss you with all our hearts.
A memorial service was held at 2 PM on Monday, December 29, 2014 at Loudoun Funeral Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 26 Broadway, New York, NY 10004.
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