Glenn W. Johnson fought a long, heroic battle with Stage 4 prostate cancer for seven years and at the age of 66 passed away quietly in his home in Warren on Saturday, May 6, 2023, surrounded by loved ones.
Glenn grew up in Connecticut but a cross-country road trip with his best friend Garry Dostaler made him realize he didn’t want to live in the city anymore. He moved to Vermont in the early 80s and would have told you that was the best decision he ever made. He often talked about how lucky he felt to get to live in such a beautiful place so many people vacation in and retire to.
He was married to Julie Graves in July 1987. Together they had two children, Annie and Thomas. Glenn started his mobile diesel repair service in 1990, Johnson’s Repair Service. Glenn truly enjoyed his work and loved helping people. It brought him so much happiness to be able to share his skills and knowledge with his business partner and son-in-law Jordan Champney. They spent a lot of time together working on a 1971 VW bus that they lovingly restored.
Glenn loved to spend his summers up at Lake Champlain and could always be found fishing or dragging the tube for his son and the other kids at the campground on his boat the High Hook. He also enjoyed stargazing and sitting on his porch during thunderstorms. In the winter Glenn was fortunate enough to be able to ski every Friday with his children while they attended Warren Elementary. He continued to ski with his son through Vermont Adaptive and took a lot of pride in watching him compete in the Special Olympics every year. Glenn often recalled chasing the powder days and how there was nothing in the world like first tracks in fresh powder. In his later life, he was lucky enough to go on trips to Denmark and Alaska with his siblings and create memories he cherished.
Glenn would tell anyone who would listen about his beloved grandchildren, Nora, Waylon, and Everett. They brought him so much joy and many, many smiles. He loved spending time with them and always volunteered to make their birthday cakes with his mom’s special frosting recipe.
Glenn reconnected with Mary Schell and they happily lived together for the last few years of his life.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2023, more details to come as they are finalized.
