Obituary of Charles Robert Johnson

C. Robert Johnson (Bob) died peacefully in his home in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 5, 2011. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 29, 1930 to Charles Isaac and Mildred Rusher Johnson, he grew up loving boats and sailing with his cocker spaniel in a beetle cat. He was a member of the Delta Psi fraternity at Williams College. After college, the Navy and business school, his love of the water and boats took him to Maine where he left behind his early work in finance to operate boat yards and to fish. His love of the water remained as he worked along the coast of Maine and cruised on the sea between Nova Scotia and the Bahamas throughout his life. In his later years, he left the coast and moved to Sylva, NC with his wife, Lorraine Johnson, where he spent nearly the last five years of his life. Always an introspective and contemplative person, he spent his time reading, thinking, sharing ideas and talking with others about the ineffable mysteries of creation. He took an interest in others and loved to share stories and hear about their lives. Bob was survived by his wife, Lorraine Johnson, his daughters, Wendell J. Hausdorff of Brussels, Belgium, Katharine J. Holloway of Dyke, Virginia, Hannah R. Johnson of Venice, Florida, step-daughter, Tamara Hammer-Selbst of Boston, Massachusetts and five grandchildren: Kate Hausdorff, Ben Hausdorff, Sarah Holloway, Paddrick Holloway and Felicia Selbst. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either Mountain Mediation Services at PO Box 1802, Sylva, NC 28779 (www.mountainmediation.org) , or Expanding Opportunities, a grassroots nonprofit helping orphaned street children in Nakuru, Kenya, at 84 Payson Rd., Brooks, ME 04921. (www.exop.org). Bob's Memorial and Sharing Service will be held on Friday, July 22, 2011 from 3:00-4:00 PM at St. David's Episcopal Church (the chapel) in Cullowhee, with a time for greeting family members from 2:30-3:00, prior to the memorial. All are welcome to join us for either the greeting time or the memorial, or both. It will be a fairly informal time of remembering. Following the memorial, any of you are welcome to join me and the rest of Bob's family and friends at "Jack the Dipper" in Sylva for an ice cream in Bob's honor. Jack the Dipper is located on business route 23 (off of exit 85) in Sylva, in the shopping center on your right as you come down the hill, just before the BP Gas Station and the red light with McDonalds. St. David's Episcopal Church is located on the campus at Western. The church website, www.st-davids.org , has directions and below is a link to them: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=385+Forest+Hills+Drive,+Cullowhee,+NC+28723&vps=2&jsv=208a&sll=35.305385,-83.181576&sspn=0.009088,0.017273&g=385+Forest+Hills+Drive,+Cullowhee,+NC+28723&num=10&abstate=A:actbar-saveto