Henry Clay Johnson Jr., formerly of Malvern

Henry Clay Johnson, Jr., 85, died inhis sleep January 6, 2017, at The Wellington in East Goshen, PA. Johnson, a longtime resident of Malvern, PA, was a retired aerospace engineer who designed communication satellites at General Electric Valley Forge Space Center. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in physics of the University of North Carolina and member of St. Anthony Hall fraternity. He graduated high school at age 15, attended Berea College and when old enough, enrolled at UNC in the Naval ROTC program. Upon graduation he was a naval aviator.

He joined GE as an aerospace engineer in 1956. He and his team designed the communications satellite that took images over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and were recognized by President John F. Kennedy for it. Johnson’s career also took him to Japan to manage satellite projects.

Johnson was born in Hazard, KY, September 8, 1931 to Henry Clay Johnson, Sr. and Kathryn Stickley Johnson and raised in Roanoke, VA.

Clay is survived by Irene McDonald Johnson, his devoted wife of 63 years, and children: Kathryn Johnson Barrett (Ross), Virginia Beach, VA; Susan Stickley Johnson, St. Louis, MO; Henry Clay Johnson, III (Deborah), McKinney, TX; and Margaret Johnson Jamborsky (Michael), Reston, VA, and six grandchildren. Also, brothers John Johnson (Esther), Dan Johnson (Margie), Jean Johnson, widow of his late brother Frank, sister Nita Dutton and nieces and nephews.

The lifelong fisherman was a founder and president of the Tri-State Custom Rod Club and taught custom rod building regionally. Both Clay and Irene have held more than two dozen International Game Fishing Association world records.

Clay loved photography and travelling the world with Irene and approached traveling the way he did engineering-with precision planning.

He was named volunteer of the year at Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital in 2006.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 28, 2017 at Willistown Friends Meeting, 7069 Goshen Rd., Newtown Square, Pa., at 3 pm.

Memorial donations may be made to Project Healing Waters at projecthealingwaters.org.

Arrangements by the Mauger-Givnish Funeral Home, 24 Monument Ave, Malvern, PA, 19355 www. maugergivnish.com