Subject: RE: Obit: Craig Johnson, December 5, 2009.
From:
Martha Burns
Date: 08 Dec 09 - 10:58 AM
Here is Craig's obituary from the Cremation Society of the Carolinas. You can also see it http://www.cremnc.com/sitemaker/sites/Cremat2/obit.cgi?user=151400Johnson.
BIOGRAPHY
Craig Johnson, 56, died on Saturday December 5, 2009 at the Rex Hospital Hospice Unit of esophageal cancer. He was born March 25, 1953 in Ann Arbor, MI, to Frank Crane Johnson and Carolyn Welsby Johnson. Over the years he was a social worker, teacher, and carpenter, but his lifelong passion was music.
He grew up in Wayne, Michigan and attended Wayne High School. He got a BA in Education from the University of Michigan. While at college he became enamored of old time string band music. After college he moved to the Washington DC area where he taught school and later was a carpenter. He moved to Morgantown WV in 1990 and attended WVU where he got an MSW. He worked for the WVU Center on Aging, and was also a visiting professor of social work at WVU. In 2001 he moved to NC. He taught social work briefly at Meredith College, and then became a clinical social worker at John Umstead / Central Regional Hospital.
Since 1972 he always played in a string band – Skunk's Misery, Argo Pond String Band, Hambone Sweets, Double Decker Stringband, and Martin and Johnson. He played fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and was a renowned singer. He also wrote several songs and tunes including Away Down the Road, Keweenaw Light, New Harmony, Stambaugh Waltz, and many others. With Double Decker Stringband he recorded several LPs, cassettes, and CDs. He also recorded a CD with Wayne and Margaret Martin. After being diagnosed with cancer Craig was planning to record hundreds of old time songs that he knew by heart. Before he could do so, he lost his voice due to cancer. A solo CD, "Away Down the Road" on 5-String Productions, based on recordings that Craig had made in a few years earlier, was completed before his death with the help of John Beam, Bill Schmidt, Wayne Martin and Tim Brown. The CD stands as a beautiful culmination of Craig's life work
Craig learned from the "old masters" of old time music including Clyde Davenport, Luther Davis, Kahle Brewer, and many others. He loved to share his gift of music, and taught at various venues including the Augusta Heritage Center, Pinewoods, Old Songs Festival, Merlefest, Live Oak Festival, Bluff Country Gathering, to name a few. It was at the Augusta Heritage Festival in WV that he met his wife, Brenda VanLunen. They married in 1989 and have 2 children, Alec and Sally.
He played with John Beam, Bruce Hutton, and Bill Schmidt in the Double Decker Stringband for over 30 years, and considered them his dearest friends and brothers. Together they played at concerts and festivals all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Practice was always an excuse to drink beer, tell jokes, and have a good time. After moving to NC in 2001 he enjoyed playing music with his great good friends Wayne and Margaret Martin.
Craig also enjoyed woodworking, and was inordinately proud of his wooden catfish "Big Al". He loved boats, trains, and history. He was delighted to buy a used O'Day Javelin sailboat in 2007 and spent the summer of 2008 sailing it whenever possible.
Craig was a loving and beloved husband, father, brother, and friend. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Carolyn Johnson. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Brenda VanLunen, his children Alec and Sally, both of the home, his sister and brother-in-law Karen and Ted Gagnier, his favorite mother-in-law Judy Mason and her husband Stanley Baron, and numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Flowers are welcome, or memorials may be made to First Reformed Church of Cary, Camp Kesem NC, or Hospice of Wake County.
A memorial service will be held at First Reformed Church of Cary, 555 SW Maynard Rd, Cary, NC on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 1 pm. The family will receive visitors immediately after the service in the fellowship hall, and other times at the home.
Arrangements are by Cremation Society of the Carolinas. Online condolences at www.cremnc.com
"And the stars will shine bright on the south shore tonight
and the Keweenaw light sweeps over the bay,
And if dreams could come true, I'd still be there with you
On the banks of cold waters at the close of the day." - Craig Johnson, Keweenaw Light
FACTS
Born: March 25, 1953
Death: December 5, 2009
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