JOHNSON, Cleveland “CJ”
Cleveland “CJ” Darrell Johnson, age 52, died peacefully on March 30, 2022, at Saint Joseph Medical Center with his wife and daughter at his bedside.
CJ was born and lived most of his life in the Baltimore area, except for the few years he lived with family members in Whiteville, North Carolina. He graduated from Franklin High School in Reisterstown in 1988, where he was in the band and played football. After graduation, he studied music for several semesters at Catonsville Community College.
He was an amazing musician who sang and played many instruments, but his first love was the drums. Over the years, he played drums for many of Baltimore’s most memorable bands. Many of his friends have referred to him as the “mayor” of Baltimore’s underground scene, and he had hundreds of devoted friends to show for it. CJ was also an avid fisherman. Every vacation required at least one fishing trip, and when the weather was nice, you might find him “ripping lips” at Loch Raven.
CJ was employed for many years as a rehabilitation technician, working with power mobility devices. He worked for Hoveround, Pride Mobility, Northern Pharmacy, and most recently ran his own repair business, The Wheelchair Guy. He was great at what he did, and his easy demeanor put even the crankiest of customers at ease.
CJ met his wife, Marci, in 1991 after she moved to Baltimore to attend law school. They were friends for a few years before they started dating in the fall of 1994. In October of 2000, they were married, and in May of 2002, they welcomed their daughter Annabella “Bella” Mae Johnson. CJ and his family have shared a life of love, music, travel, fishing, and joy.
CJ is survived by his wife, Marci; daughter, Bella; stepfather, Ralph Houston; brothers, William “Jerome” Brown and Nathaniel “Nate” Brown; many beloved uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces; and hundreds, if not thousands, of friends who adored him.
The family will receive friends at Peaceful Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Center, P.A., 2325 York Rd., Timonium, MD 21093 on Saturday, April 23 from 1 - 2 PM with a Memorial Service officiated by Rev. Michael Belt to begin at 2 PM. Interment private.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorial donations his favorite local charity, The Baltimore Station. For years he did volunteer fundraising for them, and the proceeds from his big birthday parties always went to the Baltimore Station. The Baltimore Station provides a safe and therapeutic place for veterans experiencing addiction, poverty and/or homelessness. Checks can be made out to The Baltimore Station and mailed to 140 W. West St., Baltimore, MD 21230, or online at baltimorestation.org/donate. Please be sure to specify the donation is in CJ’s memory. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.
peacefulalternatives.com.