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Life story

" Brian Johnson was born in Erie, Pennsylvania to James and Dolores Johnson. After leaving life on the farm, his family relocated to Charles County, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in History: a passion and topic for which he had boundless curiosity. He became a US Capitol Police officer in 1981 and served with patience and good humor for 33 years--by his family's calculation, racking up nearly a million commuter miles over the course of his career. He retired as a Sergeant in 2014.
Brian was above all else a dedicated family man. He spent countless hours helping his in-laws, parents, neighbors, and children with projects big and small. He attended Boy Scout events with his son, Appalachian Service Project with his daughter, and too many of his children's other extracurriculars to list. Brian continued to volunteer until his cancer diagnosis.
He was the most loving and involved father a child could want. He played, taught, romped, and was capable of fixing very nearly anything... with the exception of plumbing.
Brian loved all things outdoors. His legacy will live on in a robust asparagus patch, countless tomato cages, sundry hunting items, and an excess of fishing paraphernalia. He took his family camping nearly every year, staying in campgrounds from Georgia to Connecticut. During fishing season, no catfish was safe--and he made the best hushpuppies.
When he was diagnosed with cancer, Brian worked as hard to beat it as he had worked at everything else. He is survived by his wife Laura, two children, Christine and Zachary, his brother Tom (m. Peggy), and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Brian will be terribly missed by all those who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society or to Peace United Methodist Church's Appalachian Service Project fund. "