Frederick Orson Johnson

Aug 2, 1927 - Nov 1, 2017

Frederick O. Johnson, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, died in his Berkeley home of heart failure at age 90, following dinner with his wife. A fourthgeneration Californian, Fred was born in Los Angeles and was a long-time resident of Berkeley. During high school, Fred attended Ojai’s Cal Prep, where he made life-long friends and launched his enduring interest in mountain climbing and wilderness preservation. Fred entered Cornell University (fraternity DKE) at age 16, served briefly in the Navy at the close of WWII, then received his PhD in organic chemistry from MIT. He worked as an executive chemist for 20 years at Chevron Chemical, then moved on to commercial real estate with Coldwell Banker. Retirement found Fred continuing to explore alpine scenery worldwide— from Mt. Ararat to Mt. Kilimanjaro—delving into family genealogy, driving to California fire lookouts, and enjoying good food and wine with family and friends; he especially enjoyed dinners with the San Francisco Chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Fred was a treasured, hardworking member of several clubs at various periods of his life, including the California Club in Los Angeles, the American Alpine Club, the Claremont Country Club in Oakland, and the Guardsmen, Bohemian, and University clubs in San Francisco. Fred’s family gave him overwhelming joy, and they will miss his kindness, scholarship, gentlemanly compassion, and deep interest in others. He is predeceased by his sister, Judith (died, age 6), and survived by his wife of 67 years, Marilyn Harley Johnson; his children, Victoria (Dennis Foley), Ann (Michael Grandin), Frederick, and Seth (Shivani Seastone); and his two grandchildren, Sarah Grandin (Olivier Pecquenard) and Harley Grandin. A memorial service will be held at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Alpine Club or a charity of your choice.