Henry Paul Johnson, WWII Veteran and longtime Athletics baseball fan, passed December 10 at 93 after a year long struggle with heart problems, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Though failing physically, he maintained a sharp mind letting loose a few timely zingers up to the end. Henry was born in Chestnut Hill Hospital in 1925 and grew up in Mount Airy on Devon Street very close to the Mount Airy Train Station. He attended Norwood Academy then went on to graduate from Germantown Academy in 1942, when GA was located on School House Lane. He headed off to WWII joining the Army in 1943 where he was part of the Fighting 69th Infantry that famously met up with the Russians at the Elbe River in April 1945. After his service in the Army, Henry attended the Philadelphia Textile Institute and used his degree to make a career in New England in the wool business. He married Louise (nee Brown) in 1955 while living outside of Boston MA. Working in the woolen business took Henry and his family to Vermont, Massachusetts and later New Hampshire where he retired on the early 1990s. In 1999 he and Louise moved to Takoma Park Maryland to be closer to his children and grandchildren. Henry is survived by his sister Pat Leaming and brother Paul Henkels Johnson and his children Henry P Johnson III, Mathew Johnson (Susan Bundock) and Alex Johnson (Carolyn) as well as seven grandchildren: Natalia Johnson (Paul Niermann), Henry Johnson, Emily Johnson, Matthew Johnson, Mary Johnson, Alex Johnson and Ann Johnson as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was always fun to be around raising the mood of a crowd with humor and charm at church, a family gathering or anywhere he showed up. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 am on January 5th at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 1006 Larch Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912. Burial to follow at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland. Henry requested donations to Our Lady of Sorrow in lieu of flowers. He also insisted there be an open bar at the reception. See what I mean about a nice guy?
