Joel Edward Johnson of Lake Jackson, Texas, passed away on January 28, 2020, at age 78 after a fierce battle with pancreatic cancer. Born May 24, 1941, in Kansas City, Missouri, Joel moved to Freeport at age six and grew up on West 7th Street, graduating from Brazosport High School in 1959.
A veteran, Joel joined the Air Force in 1960, serving as an electronic communications technician with Offutt Strategic Air Command in Nebraska, including a deployment to South Korea. He left the service as an airman first class. Always a fan of aviation history and flying, Joel obtained his private pilot’s license while in service and enjoyed the freedom of the skies when he could. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the University of Houston where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and met his future wife Margaret Johnson, also a UH graduate. The two were passionate fans of their alma mater and enjoyed season tickets to Cougar football games for nearly 40 years. The couple moved to Lake Jackson in 1970 when Joel accepted a job with Dow Chemical. He worked as an engineer in electrical maintenance until his retirement from Dow in 1997. He then worked for Noble Drilling, consulting on global projects, and later did consulting for Dow, including teaching classes at Brazosport College on electric safety.
Joel and Margaret were avid outdoor enthusiasts in the ‘70s and ‘80s, spending their weekends canoeing and camping with members of the Brazosport Pack and Paddle Club. They later opened and operated the outdoor equipment store Wilderness Landing in downtown Lake Jackson. Joel enjoyed cheering on his youngest kids from the dugout of Little League baseball fields and sidelines of soccer games. He coached their baseball and soccer teams and also became a youth soccer referee, spending hundreds of hours on the pitch himself.
After retirement, Joel pursued sailing, owning two boats he docked in Kemah. He especially enjoyed weekends on the boat with his oldest granddaughter and sailing in Galveston Bay. Joel also spent time volunteering for many years. He regularly worked at the Helping Hands Hospice thrift store and at Sea Center Texas where he led tours and introduced thousands of children to saltwater life.
Joel is survived by his wife of 53 years Margaret Johnson; three children, Beth Ann Johnson of Centreville, Virginia, Noel Johnson of Redondo Beach, California, and Jenny Johnson Hackney of Clute, Texas; his three granddaughters, Grace Johnson of Clute, and Annabelle and Amanda DuBard of Centreville; and his older brother Richard Johnson of Houston.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred Hagopian Johnson and Eugene Bell “Johnny” Johnson.
Services will be held Saturday at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sea Center Texas, https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishing/sea-center-texas/donations.
A veteran, Joel joined the Air Force in 1960, serving as an electronic communications technician with Offutt Strategic Air Command in Nebraska, including a deployment to South Korea. He left the service as an airman first class. Always a fan of aviation history and flying, Joel obtained his private pilot’s license while in service and enjoyed the freedom of the skies when he could. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the University of Houston where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and met his future wife Margaret Johnson, also a UH graduate. The two were passionate fans of their alma mater and enjoyed season tickets to Cougar football games for nearly 40 years. The couple moved to Lake Jackson in 1970 when Joel accepted a job with Dow Chemical. He worked as an engineer in electrical maintenance until his retirement from Dow in 1997. He then worked for Noble Drilling, consulting on global projects, and later did consulting for Dow, including teaching classes at Brazosport College on electric safety.
Joel and Margaret were avid outdoor enthusiasts in the ‘70s and ‘80s, spending their weekends canoeing and camping with members of the Brazosport Pack and Paddle Club. They later opened and operated the outdoor equipment store Wilderness Landing in downtown Lake Jackson. Joel enjoyed cheering on his youngest kids from the dugout of Little League baseball fields and sidelines of soccer games. He coached their baseball and soccer teams and also became a youth soccer referee, spending hundreds of hours on the pitch himself.
After retirement, Joel pursued sailing, owning two boats he docked in Kemah. He especially enjoyed weekends on the boat with his oldest granddaughter and sailing in Galveston Bay. Joel also spent time volunteering for many years. He regularly worked at the Helping Hands Hospice thrift store and at Sea Center Texas where he led tours and introduced thousands of children to saltwater life.
Joel is survived by his wife of 53 years Margaret Johnson; three children, Beth Ann Johnson of Centreville, Virginia, Noel Johnson of Redondo Beach, California, and Jenny Johnson Hackney of Clute, Texas; his three granddaughters, Grace Johnson of Clute, and Annabelle and Amanda DuBard of Centreville; and his older brother Richard Johnson of Houston.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred Hagopian Johnson and Eugene Bell “Johnny” Johnson.
Services will be held Saturday at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sea Center Texas, https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishing/sea-center-texas/donations.
Joel Edward Johnson of Lake Jackson, Texas, passed away on January 28, 2020, at age 78 after a fierce battle with pancreatic cancer. Born May 24, 1941, in Kansas City, Missouri, Joel moved to Freeport at age six and grew up on West 7th Street, graduating from Brazosport High School in 1959.
A veteran, Joel joined the Air Force in 1960, serving as an electronic communications technician with Offutt Strategic Air Command in Nebraska, including a deployment to South Korea. He left the service as an airman first class. Always a fan of aviation history and flying, Joel obtained his private pilot’s license while in service and enjoyed the freedom of the skies when he could. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the University of Houston where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and met his future wife Margaret Johnson, also a UH graduate. The two were passionate fans of their alma mater and enjoyed season tickets to Cougar football games for nearly 40 years. The couple moved to Lake Jackson in 1970 when Joel accepted a job with Dow Chemical. He worked as an engineer in electrical maintenance until his retirement from Dow in 1997. He then worked for Noble Drilling, consulting on global projects, and later did consulting for Dow, including teaching classes at Brazosport College on electric safety.
Joel and Margaret were avid outdoor enthusiasts in the ‘70s and ‘80s, spending their weekends canoeing and camping with members of the Brazosport Pack and Paddle Club. They later opened and operated the outdoor equipment store Wilderness Landing in downtown Lake Jackson. Joel enjoyed cheering on his youngest kids from the dugout of Little League baseball fields and sidelines of soccer games. He coached their baseball and soccer teams and also became a youth soccer referee, spending hundreds of hours on the pitch himself.
After retirement, Joel pursued sailing, owning two boats he docked in Kemah. He especially enjoyed weekends on the boat with his oldest granddaughter and sailing in Galveston Bay. Joel also spent time volunteering for many years. He regularly worked at the Helping Hands Hospice thrift store and at Sea Center Texas where he led tours and introduced thousands of children to saltwater life.
Joel is survived by his wife of 53 years Margaret Johnson; three children, Beth Ann Johnson of Centreville, Virginia, Noel Johnson of Redondo Beach, California, and Jenny Johnson Hackney of Clute, Texas; his three granddaughters, Grace Johnson of Clute, and Annabelle and Amanda DuBard of Centreville; and his older brother Richard Johnson of Houston.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred Hagopian Johnson and Eugene Bell “Johnny” Johnson.
Services will be held Saturday at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sea Center Texas, https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishing/sea-center-texas/donations.
A veteran, Joel joined the Air Force in 1960, serving as an electronic communications technician with Offutt Strategic Air Command in Nebraska, including a deployment to South Korea. He left the service as an airman first class. Always a fan of aviation history and flying, Joel obtained his private pilot’s license while in service and enjoyed the freedom of the skies when he could. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the University of Houston where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and met his future wife Margaret Johnson, also a UH graduate. The two were passionate fans of their alma mater and enjoyed season tickets to Cougar football games for nearly 40 years. The couple moved to Lake Jackson in 1970 when Joel accepted a job with Dow Chemical. He worked as an engineer in electrical maintenance until his retirement from Dow in 1997. He then worked for Noble Drilling, consulting on global projects, and later did consulting for Dow, including teaching classes at Brazosport College on electric safety.
Joel and Margaret were avid outdoor enthusiasts in the ‘70s and ‘80s, spending their weekends canoeing and camping with members of the Brazosport Pack and Paddle Club. They later opened and operated the outdoor equipment store Wilderness Landing in downtown Lake Jackson. Joel enjoyed cheering on his youngest kids from the dugout of Little League baseball fields and sidelines of soccer games. He coached their baseball and soccer teams and also became a youth soccer referee, spending hundreds of hours on the pitch himself.
After retirement, Joel pursued sailing, owning two boats he docked in Kemah. He especially enjoyed weekends on the boat with his oldest granddaughter and sailing in Galveston Bay. Joel also spent time volunteering for many years. He regularly worked at the Helping Hands Hospice thrift store and at Sea Center Texas where he led tours and introduced thousands of children to saltwater life.
Joel is survived by his wife of 53 years Margaret Johnson; three children, Beth Ann Johnson of Centreville, Virginia, Noel Johnson of Redondo Beach, California, and Jenny Johnson Hackney of Clute, Texas; his three granddaughters, Grace Johnson of Clute, and Annabelle and Amanda DuBard of Centreville; and his older brother Richard Johnson of Houston.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred Hagopian Johnson and Eugene Bell “Johnny” Johnson.
Services will be held Saturday at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sea Center Texas, https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishing/sea-center-texas/donations.
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