Norman W. Johnson

Norman Webster Johnson, 94, of Wakefield, peacefully joined his wife of 67 years, Alice Lessard Johnson on Friday January 8 at South County Hospital. He was born in Pontiac, RI on August 24, 1921, and lived in Wakefield for his entire adult life. He was the son of Carl Walter and Agnes Lufgren Johnson. He was pre-deceased by his brother Carl Walter Johnson, formerly of Warwick. Norm had a lifelong passion for horses which lead him to attempt to enlist in the last remnant of the US Cavalry which was formally decommissioned in 1941. As a result, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a plane mechanic, graduating from the Boeing Flying Fortress School in Seattle before being stationed in England for the duration of World War II. This resulted in his life-long disdain for eating lamb, but, a true Rhode Islander to the end, he never lost his love of lobster and clam "chowdah."After the war ended in 1945, he and Alice were married, and in 1950 they built the house on Silver Lake Ave where they raised their 3 children and where he lived until his passing. Over the years Norm enjoyed his family, boating, golf and bicycling. He kept a boat at Babcock's Boat Yard at the end of Pond St for years before horse shows became the family priority. At age 85 he took up bicycling when the new bike trails were opened in South County. His passion for golf was constant and he continued to play in leagues until he was 89. Norm worked for the telephone company, starting with Bell Telephone and remained with them through all of the subsequent corporate identities. Norm retired twice; first at the age of 60 and after a brief period he went back to work again maintaining the phone systems at URI. After his second retirement he finally got to visit the homeland: Sweden. Not many folks knew how much Swedish he could understand. Norm and Alice became active members of the Quahog Lodge #175, of the Vasa Order of America, a Swedish-American Cultural organization. His family will be forever grateful to the women who cared for him at home until just days before his passing, Andrea Gardiner, Cathy Brennan and Kristie LaPoint. Norm is survived by two sons, Norman W. Jr of Newfield, NY, Brian C. of Saunderstown RI, and Suzann E. Johnson Gertel and her husband, Arthur, of White House Station, NJ. He will be missed by his grandchildren Elizabeth Johnson Beukema, and her husband, Paul of Hammond, Wisconsin, and Seth Johnson and his wife, Shannon, of Tunbridge, Vermont. Norm had the great joy of living long enough to enjoy his five great grandchildren, Haley, Garrett and Lillian Beukema and Zachary and Sylvia Johnson. Visitation will be held Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. followed by a service in Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield. Burial with military honors will be in RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter.