Napa Valley Register: Charles Roy Johnson Sunday, February 20, 2005 NAPA Charlie Johnson passed away early Sunday morning Feb. 13, 2005 at Queen of the Valley Hospital. Charlie enjoyed 90 years of a very happy life. Born in Alameda on Dec. 1, 1914 to Elizabeth Lee Middleton Johnson and John Edgar Johnson. Charlie's father John Edgar worked on the railroad and was the conductor on the Napa Valley Electric line that ran from Vallejo to Napa and up valley in the early 1920s. Charlie first moved to Napa during this time and attended John L. Shearer Elementary School. During his younger years his family moved a lot because of his father's profession. He moved for a time to Scheller, Ill. with grandparents and back to Vallejo during his high school years. The summer of 1928 Charlie worked for E.L. Young at his ranch in Yountville in exchange for a 1914 Model T Ford. During the depression years he enlisted in the Citizens Military Training Corps at Fort Winfield Scott in San Francisco. Later he joined the Civilian Conservation Corp. constructing roads and clearing brush in the Castella California area above Redding. In the mid-1930s Charlie worked on the dredger McKinsey, creating the additional ground to Treasure Island, in the SF Bay for the 1939 Worlds Fair. In 1937 he met his bride-to-be, native Napan Lillian Wildberger. They were married on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 1938 in Reno, Nevada. Lillian passed away in July of 2003. They enjoyed 65 years of marriage. Charlie started his married life in Vallejo. He worked for PG&E when he was first married and at Mare Island during WW II. In 1945 he moved his family to Petaluma, where he farmed a 500-acre grain ranch. During the late '40s the family moved back to Napa, then to another farming project in Petaluma, and in 1949 bought a moving and storage business in Vallejo. In 1951 Charlie and his family moved to West Lincoln Ave. in Napa, where he and his extended family live today. After another short time working at Mare Island he started a construction business and was a general contractor until his retirement in 1975. Charlie leaves two sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Charla Johnson of Hayfork, and John and Patty Johnson of Napa, eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. All of his siblings are still alive, an older sister Nellie Sanders in Oregon, an older brother Mack Henry Johnson in Arizona, a younger brother George Johnson in Modesto and a younger sister Julia Cherrington in Orland. Charlie's 90 years of life were full of joy and excitement. The list of hobbies, interests and talents is endless. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He enjoyed many years in the "Can Club," a famous old hunting and fishing club in the Napa Delta. Deer hunting was a yearly quest that he looked forward to and planned for months in advance of each season, up to and including this past year 2004. For years Charlie enjoyed hunting at the Wildberger Ranch in Ukiah and the Noyes Ranch in Lake County. Throughout his life he always had a boat and was a permanent fixture at the Napa Valley Marina from it's beginning in the 1950s to the present day. Gardening was a passion; he had a huge vegetable garden every year of his adult life. Charlie was a very talented self-taught musician. He was able to play melodies of most any song on the violin, mandolin, guitar, accordion and harmonica. He loved music and entertained his grandkids and close friends with his harmonica and button set accordion right up to the present time. Charlie's other talent was his mechanical ability. He was able to accomplish any task that the general building trade required. You name it and he could do it. Woodworking was his favorite, a talented cabinet maker, he spent many hours in his beloved shop in his later years creating all sorts of wood products for family and friends. He became especially interested in carving wood decoys. Charlie loved to read, he loved history, he collected everything, old tools, Indian rocks, duck decoys, and things to swap and trade. Charlie's special love was being involved with people. He loved company. He loved hearing and mostly telling stories, jokes and limericks. He loved children and always had a story to tell them. He loved playing cards, parties, food and drink. He always said, "every night is Saturday Night and the weekends are New Years!" Like the Will Rogers quote, "I never met a man I didn't like," best describes Charlie's relationship with everyone. He touched many lives in his 90 years and will be in fond memory of all. A service was held in the chapel at Tulocay Cemetery Friday, Feb. 18. Donations may be made to the Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation.