WWII Vet, Highly Respected Chemistry Teacher Nils Johson Dies at 87

Nils Gordon Johnson of Middletown, a highly respected high school chemistry teacher and much decorated World War II Navy veteran died Sunday, June 9, after a sudden illness. He was 87.

Johnson was a radioman in the Pacific Theater aboard the Attack Transport ship, USS Doyen, which took part in the harrowing amphibious attacks on the islands of Saipan, Guam, Leyte, Luzon, the Phillippines, Solomon Islands and others. For this he was awarded the American Theater Medal, the Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He was one of only three surviving veterans of the USS Doyen.

Johnson was an educator in Connecticut for 41 years, teaching chemistry for nearly 26 years at Hartford Public High School. He also spent years tutoring students at night school.

Nils Gordon Johnson was born Aug. 29, 1925, in Hartford, the son a Swedish immigrant father Nils Bror Johnson (Brogholm, Sweden), and a Beverly, Mass., mother, Louise Laura Vinal. He graduated from Hall High School in West Hartford in 1943.

He earned his bachelor of arts degree in 1950 from the University of Connecticut (where he sang in a barbershop quartet), and bachelor of science degree from Southern Connecticut Teachers College, and a master's degree in liberal studies from Wesleyan University in 1958. Nearly every summer thereafter, he took chemistry courses at Syracuse, Brown, University of Wisconsin and other schools, thanks to National Science Foundation grants.

It was at UConn that he met his future wife, Adele Ewanowski, a Middletown native whom he married in 1952, and moved to Middletown. He helped construct the family home on Laurel Grove Road, at the edge of the beautiful Long Hill Estate and Wadsworth State Park.

Here the family enjoyed long walks in the woods, camping across the country and chemistry teacher conventions in the summers. Nils and Adele, also a retired schoolteacher, were about to celebrate their 61th wedding anniversary.

Known to almost every one as “Johnson,” Mr. Johnson was active in his parish, St. Mary of Czestochowa in Middletown, and the Catholic War Vets. In the 1980s, he participated in the church renovation committee and Middletown High School building committee. He also belonged to the Ham Radio Relay System, which sent civilian radio messages in times of hurricanes  and ice storms, and other communication emergencies in the decades before email and cell phones.

Upon retiring, he matriculated at then Central Connecticut State College to study Japanese in the Modern Languages department.

He spent retirement dancing, helping his children build their homes, laughing with his grandchildren, and maintaining the rigorous social calendar with his wife and their mutual organizations and clubs, including the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers, the Hartford Federation of Teachers (Retired), Middlesex County Retired Teachers, the AFT-CIO, Friends of Long Hill, the Manchester Army Navy Club, and the K Club in Rockfall, to name a few.

Johnson is survived by three sisters; Joyce Higgins D’Angelo of West Yarmouth, Mass., Naomi Wolf Otulak of Farmington; and Marilyn Cone of Moodus; sons Paul Johnson, of South Dennis, Mass., Peter Johnson, of Newport, R.I., and daughter Catherine Johnson of Middletown and son Michael Johnson of New York City; grandaughters Alexis Johnson Zou, of Osterville, Mass., and Erica Johnson of Key West, Fla.; grandsons Neil Johnson and Marc Johnson of New York City; daughters-in-law Sherry Dong Johnson and Vi Lam Johnson; and dear friend, Lynne Torrey.

A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. at St. Mary of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church on South Main Street on Saturday, June 15. Calling hours will be Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Biega’s on Silver Street and Saturday, 10-11 a.m. at the church.

Burial with military honors will be held at Calvary Cemetery on Bow Lane. Luncheon and tributes to follow at the Elks Club on Saybrook Road.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the commemorative tree program may be made to the Long Hill Restoration Fund of the Wadsworth Mansion and Arboretum in Middletown.