Everett L. "Jack" Johnson

Everett L. "Jack" Johnson

Jack Johnson passed peacefully at home on July 1, 2023 following a courageous battle with cancer.  He was the son of the late Everett C. and Helen E. Wachter Johnson-Wenzel.  He is survived by his wife of 65 years Mary L. (Bare) Johnson, son Todd and his wife Jill, and daughter Tracy. He was predeceased by his stepfather Charles “Buck” Wenzel, brother Thomas “Bob” Johnson and his wife Marjorie Ann, and Tracy’s wife Kami. He is well remembered by many friends and extended family, including special family friends Cris Ann Shultz, Bob Trout, and Bonnie Joe Moore, and his cousin Ronnie Heffner who he was very close to. 

Born November 7, 1936, he was a lifelong resident of Frederick County graduating from Frederick High School and serving in the Maryland Army National Guard, 29^th Division, Company “A” with an honorable discharge as a Sergeant.  He retired from Safeway Stores in 1993 after 24 years of service as a meatcutter, and was proud to be part of the meat department at the Food Fair store in the newly opened Frederick Shopping Center in 1957

Jack was very active in his community, especially with youth and agricultural events.  Officers of the Frederick County Farm Bureau recently said “He was an asset to the ag community”.

He helped charter and lead the Cub Scout Pack at North Frederick Elementary School in mid-1960s.

He enjoyed training local Future Farmers of America chapter teams in meat judging in preparation for competition.  Several of his teams went on to win first place at the state and regional levels.  Received the FFA Outstanding Service Award for his work with these students.

He was a member of the Rose Hill Farm Museum and served on the Board of Directors.  Assisted with organization of carriage driving competitions, butcherings, food sales during events, and farming displays during annual public events.

While not a member of the Frederick County Farm Bureau he served for multiple years in managing the Dairy Bar at the Great Frederick Fair, assisting at the tractor pull at the Great Frederick Fair, picking up bulk food at central distribution site and delivering to all Frederick County foodbanks, and pick up and delivery of fruit during annual fruit sale fundraiser.  He was involved in assisting with set up of livestock display areas at the Great Frederick Fair, including the Birthing Tent and City Streets, Country Roads exhibits, and working the beef cattle show and providing ice cream to 4H and FFA members involved in the beef show.

He worked at, and helped organize, many butchering events for local non-profit organizations for many years.  In 2012 he was elected into the Frederick County 4-H Hall of Fame is recognition of his strong support of agriculture in Frederick County.

In addition to these organized activities, he was frequently involved in helping his friends and neighbors directly.  He was often heard to say, “Mr(s) Jones is not feeling well/needs a hand so a couple of us are going over to the house and mow the lawn/feed the livestock/fix the porch/etc.”  It should be noted that while the above activities and ethics towards neighbors is common amongst farmers including many of his relatives, Jack never owned a farm himself.  He adopted the farming community and they adopted him.

When he was not busy volunteering in the community, sometimes as much as 40+ hours each week, his hobbies included

Horse and carriage driving with his horse Dutch Hill Lord

Travel near and far, and taking long day trip drives

Hunting and fishing of all types

Apple butter boiling with the Monocacy Apple Kookers

Purple Martin observation

Meeting up with his friends at the local McDonalds for coffee

Jack requested that services be private for the immediate family and that donations be made in his name to the Frederick County 4-H Camp Center, 3702 Basford Road, Frederick, MD 21703 or visit https://campcenter.frederickcounty4-h.org/Donate.

The family would like to thank all of his friends for their kindness and visits during his illness, all of his Kaiser Permanente care team, especially infusion center staff, and Frederick County Hospice for their support and care of Jack.