Douglas W. Johnson

Doug Johnson, 74 passed away at his home in Plymouth on Saturday, October 1, 2016. He is survived by his wife Mary Lou; his sister Lynda (Tom Herman); his sons Thomas and Mark (Trista), his grandchildren Lucas and Claire. Doug was born October 21, 1942, and raised in Littleton, CO. During his childhood, he enjoyed bicycling with his friends around his home along Colorado’s Front Range during the week and road trips into the mountains on the weekends, led by his father, James, a veteran of WWI and his mother Thelma. In 1964, he graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Education, and later he earned a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from Eastern Michigan University. He spent over three decades teaching English, Journalism, and Photography at Livonia Stevenson High School; and nearly four decades working part time for the Observer & Eccentric newspapers as a reporter, copy editor, photographer, and news editor.

A dedicated family man, one of his biggest passions was taking the family on summer vacations – including condos on Florida’s Gulf Coast, RV trips up and down the Atlantic coast, and many trips to his favorite destinations in Colorado and the rest of the Rocky Mountain States. At home, he enjoyed reading mystery novels, watching TV, relaxing in the backyard pool, and growing flowers in the yard. Most of all, he loved spending time with his sons Tom, Mark, and his nephew Jamie. Doug and his boys spent hours swimming in the pool, playing basketball on the driveway, playing Legos in the basement, plus working on homework for school, and doing chores – he was dedicated to giving the boys a happy childhood, filled with laughter and joy, and mindful to raise them to be responsible men. All through his life, as his young men grew up and started lives of their own, he still enjoyed every minute with them; Jamie’s companionship and help with the house over the years, trips to Florida with Mark and the Hart family, trips out west to visit with Tom; every vacation, visit, phone call, email, and postcard were dear to him.

In January 2016, Doug and his wife Mary Lou celebrated 50 years of marriage. Through all of the laughter and the tears, the ups and downs, the mornings sleeping in and nights spent awake, during all of the trips around the country and all of the time around the house, over a long career and well-earned retirement, Doug remained steadfast in his devotion to his wife. His dedication to his wife, family, friends, and neighbors was a big part of their life together. He always had an opinion on anything in the news, a pearl of wisdom to bestow, a shoulder to lean on, and perhaps most importantly, a joke at the ready. These qualities will live on in all who knew him well.

Memorial services will be held at Schrader-Howell Funeral Home in downtown Plymouth on Saturday October 8, at 12pm. Family and friends may begin gathering at the Funeral Home at 10am. He will be interred at Riverside Cemetery in Plymouth, MI. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made in his name to the Disabled American Veterans charity (www.dav.org/donate).