Joseph Edgar Johnson - Obituary

oseph Edgar Johnson, of Annapolis, MD died on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. He was 83. Born on January 29, 1934, eldest son of Charles and Pearl Johnson, Joe was raised in Rock Island, IL. He married Sharon LeiJoy Stanley, his wife of 59 years, on December 26, 1953. He earned a BS in Chemistry in 1955 from Iowa State University and a PhD in chemistry in 1959 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Joe and Sharon made the news for being a married couple graduating together with PhD degrees from MIT. Moving to Pittsburgh, PA in 1959, he embarked on a long and distinguished career at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a scientist, and later as an engineering manager, at various Westinghouse sites including the Churchill (PA) Research and Development Center; the Youngwood (PA) Semiconductor Division; and the Advanced Technology Laboratory near Baltimore (MD). With many patents and scholarly journal articles, Joe was an expert in semiconductor device physics, power semiconductors, and quality process control. Joe retired from Westinghouse in 1996. Joe and Sharon owned and operated the Hearts and Flowers Florist in Edgewater, MD during the 1990s. A dedicated family man, Joe provided a bedrock foundation and consistent love and support for his two sons. He steadfastly stood by Sharon throughout the challenges she faced in her own pioneering career. He provided loving care for Sharon during her 13-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was a 33-year member of AA. Words that have been used to describe Joe include articulate and witty yet practical; strong, determined and solid; caring and kind-hearted. Joe was an early proponent of many new technological developments. In later years he mastered adaptive technologies that allowed him to continue living independently, as he preferred. Joe is survived by his sons Calvin A Johnson (Melissa S Yap Johnson), Theodore J Johnson (Maia Szalavitz), grandson Joseph R Johnson, brother Charles J Johnson (Susan Johnson), sister-in-law Tommy Miller, and brother-in-law Robert H Stanley (Carolee Stanley). He was preceded in death by his wife Sharon LeiJoy Johnson, who passed in 2013. Friends are invited to celebrate Joseph's life on Saturday, July 8 from 2 to 4 pm at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD. Condolences and tributes may be made by clicking the tab on this page.