Obituary of Lloyd H. Johnson

Lloyd H. Johnson, a resident of the Home of the Good Shepherd in Saratoga Springs, New York passed away on December 12, 2021. 

Mr. Johnson was predeceased by his loving wife of 69 years, Jane (Hunt) Johnson in 2017. He is survived by his son Steven and his wife Nadine of Townsend, Delaware and their sons, Jeremy, and Mark; a son Peter and his wife Carol Ann of Marlboro, Vermont and their sons, Evan, and Harrison; and a daughter, Judith (Johnson) Piper and her husband James of Ballston Spa, New York and their sons Matthew, Jeffrey, and Zachary. 

Born in St. Hilaire, Minnesota on July 10, 1927, Mr. Johnson was the son of Tomina (Hanson) Johnson and E. Lloyd Johnson of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1945 and immediately joined the United States Navy. In 1946 Lloyd matriculated at the University of Minnesota where he obtained a bachelor’s degree with High Distinction in Mechanical Engineering in 1950. He was elected to Pi Tau Sigma and Tau Beta Pi, both honorary mechanical engineering fraternities at the university.

Mr. Johnson accepted a position with the General Electric Company in 1950, two years after his bride, Jane, accepted his marriage proposal. The couple moved often during their first year of marriage as Lloyd honed his engineering expertise working on aircraft ordinance, locomotives, gas turbines…and home freezers. 

Lloyd Johnson was a steadfast employee of the General Electric Company for 37 years. During his tenure he functioned as a Design Engineer for steam turbines, a Manager of Turbine Control Engineering, and a Subsection Manager for each of Control Systems Engineering, Technical Services Engineering, Utility Renewal Parts Engineering, and Requirements Engineering. 

He is a fellow with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and authored ASME and Power Conference Papers related to Lube Systems, Water Induction, EHC Mark II Control Systems, Bypass Systems, and Controls for Large Steam Turbines. He is the holder of U.S. Patents for Dual Admission Controls and Rotor Stress Indicators.

Away from General Electric Lloyd could be found prowling the ice at local hockey arenas looking for a pick-up game. He was a rink rat in northern Minnesota in his youth where he played center on the Thief River Falls forward line in the finals of the state’s first interscholastic hockey tournament, a heart-breaking 4-3 loss to Eveleth in 1945.  He applied those same hand-eye coordination skills to the game of golf, albeit with somewhat less success. Still, he was a regular in the Edison Club men’s league every summer but posed no threat to the club champion.

His recreational pursuits also included exquisite sailing on Lake George aboard his beloved “Gud Dag”, skiing in the Adirondacks and Vermont and the occasional volleyball game at Burnt Hills High School, where he served as a member and president of the school’s Booster Club. He had a lifelong love/hate relationship with the New York Football Giants, cheering the grit of Y.A. Tittle and the elusive play of Fran Tarkenton each Sunday afternoon.

Lloyd Johnson was a spiritual soul who was a follower of Jesus Christ and a committed member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Schenectady, New York where he served as Lay Leader and chairperson for the Administrative Board and Social Concerns outreach.

Lloyd and Jane retired from General Electric in 1987 and moved to New Bern, North Carolina where they continued to golf and sail with new friends in warmer weather. They joined Centenary United Methodist Church where Johnson once again served as a church trustee and member of the Administrative Board. He cruised the coastline on his fire engine-red motor scooter and extended himself whenever possible to building a welcoming community for newcomers.

The couple returned to the Capital District in 2005 to be closer to family. In his later years, Lloyd found his greatest joy in his seven grandsons and the myriad people who came into his life each day. His personal values are emblematic of America’s Greatest Generation: humility, hard work, frugality, and a constant commitment to personal responsibility and honesty. His lasting message to his children: Do your best. Don’t waste time. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Glenville Funeral Home on May 14th at 11:00 AM. Calling hours will take place on Friday, May 13th between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. 

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the American Heart Association (heart.org). Online condolences may be made at glenvillefuneralhome.com