2007.04.07: April 7, 2007: Headlines: COS - Chile: Obituaries: La Grande Observer: Obituary for Chile RPCV Charles Grier Johnson Jr.
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Chile:
Peace Corps Chile :
Peace Corps Chile: Newest Stories:
2007.04.07: April 7, 2007: Headlines: COS - Chile: Obituaries: La Grande Observer: Obituary for Chile RPCV Charles Grier Johnson Jr.
Obituary for Chile RPCV Charles Grier Johnson Jr.
After graduating from Glassboro High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in forest resource management from the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1967 then joined the Peace Corps and served in Chile. While in Chile, he met and wed Angelica Gonzalez Sotomayor.
Obituary for Chile RPCV Charles Grier Johnson Jr.
Charles Grier Johnson Jr., 63, of Baker City, died March 25 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland. A celebration of life and memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. April 16 at the Nazarene Church in Baker City. A reception will follow. Arrangements are under the direction of Gray's West & Company of Baker City.
Known as Charlie, he was born Nov. 16, 1943, to Charles Grier and Elizabeth (Kirby) Johnson in southern New Jersey. He was raised in Mullica Hill, N.J., with his two brothers.
When he was 16, Charlie read the book "Of Men and Mountains," written by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, which motivated him to move West.
After graduating from Glassboro High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in forest resource management from the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1967 then joined the Peace Corps and served in Chile. While in Chile, he met and wed Angelica Gonzalez Sotomayor.
The couple moved back to the States, and Charlie enrolled again at the U of I, where he earned a master's degree in forest ecology in 1972. He later went on to pursue a Ph.D. in rangeland ecology at Oregon State University in Corvallis, graduating in 1982.
After career stops with the U.S. Forest Service in John Day and Enterprise, in 1979 the Johnsons and their two daughters settled in Baker City, where Charlie became the U.S. Forest Service's first area plant ecologist for the Wallowa-Whitman Umatilla and Malheur National Forests.
A pioneer in his field, Charlie was well-known and respected for his passion, accuracy and strong belief in his work. He authored several books ranging in subject from plant ecology to plant identification.
In 1995, he was entered into Glassboro High School's "Hall of Distinguished Alumni." In 2002, the University of Idaho awarded him with its most prestigious alumni achievement award—"The Silver and Gold Award." The University's College of Natural Resources also entered him into its "Hall of Distinguished Alumni."
Soon thereafter, Charlie went on to become a board member of the UI's College of Natural Resources. After retiring in 2004 from the Forest Service, he gave lectures and taught fire ecology classes at the U of I.
In the fall of 2006, Charlie donated much of his life's work to Eastern Oregon University. Because of his efforts, decades of ecological research will be preserved for study in a portion of the university's library.
While his career meant a great deal to him, Charlie's greatest work was his family. His promotion of their accomplishments and character was unending.
Food was a big part of Charlie's life. He was always seeking out the best restaurants. He acknowledged everyone who crossed his path with a warm "hello," his infamous tilted grin and quite often a witty comment. An avid golfer, he cherished the relationships he'd built on the greens. His favorite four-legged friend was his dog, Pepito.
Survivors include his wife, Angelica G. Johnson of Baker City; daughters and their spouses, Audrey and Santiago Crespo of Portland and Melica Johnson of Salem; father, Charles Grier Johnson Sr. of Woodstown, N.J.; brothers and their spouses, Glenn and Yvonne Johnson of Mantua, N.J., and Gary and Janie Johnson of Woodstown; and two grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother.
Memorials may be made to the University of Idaho Foundation, Charles G. Johnson Jr. Memorial Fund, Gift Administration Office, P.O. Box 443147, Moscow, Idaho 83844-3147.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: April, 2007; Peace Corps Chile; Directory of Chile RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Chile RPCVs; Obituaries; Peace Corps Bibliography; Peace Corps Directory; Peace Corps Original Sources; Bulletin Board; Recent Peace Corps News
When this story was posted in May 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| PCOL serves half million PCOL's readership for April exceeded 525,000 visitors - a 50% increase over last year. This year also saw the advent of a new web site: Peace Corps News that together with the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps serve 17,000 RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps every day. Thanks for making PCOL your source of news for the Peace Corps community. Read more. |
| Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences . |
| Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps Warren Wiggins, who died at 84 on April 13, became one of the architects of the Peace Corps in 1961 when his paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of Sargent Shriver, just as Shriver was trying to figure out how to turn the Peace Corps into a working federal department. Shriver was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. Read Mr. Wiggins' obituary and biography, take an opportunity to read the original document that shaped the Peace Corps' mission, and read John Coyne's special issue commemorating "A Towering Task." |
| Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
| He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
| Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process. |
| The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace. |
| PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. |
| History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: La Grande Observer
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Chile; Obituaries
PCOL37361
71