Jesse Jack Johnson, “Jake,” 80, of Waldoboro, passed away peacefully at his home April 9. He was born Nov. 19, 1929, a son of the late Ralph St. Clair Johnson and Cora Mae (Burgess) Johnson. Jake grew up and attended local schools in Waldoboro. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After serving his country he returned home.
Jake began working in the fishing industry as a clam digger and lobsterman. He and Fernald Carter built his new lobster boat in Carter’s Boat Shop in 1969. He built traps in his basement during the winter months when he wasn’t fishing. His wife and kids would help paint buoys and in the spring he would do boat repairs and put on a fresh coat of paint. He lived a pretty simple life and always got by on one income.
He loved to plant his garden and always shared his harvest with family and friends. He enjoyed deer hunting with his brother-in-law, David Hart, and the boys on Clary Hill in Union. He also had many hunts with his brother, Walter, and family in Waldoboro. He went on a moose hunt, up in Moosehead at Lily Bay, accompanied by family and friends.
Sitting in his recliner and watching movies with Winnie and Arlene was one of Jake’s favorite pastimes.
He also enjoyed going to lawn sales and attending the Miles Memorial Hospital League’s annual rummage sale with his son-in-law, Arthur. He enjoyed digging clams with Paul down on the hump and taking Sunday drives with Arthur and Marie. He also spent a lot of time with his “adopted son,” Bob Christ, down at his garage.
He enjoyed hanging out with the boys at the boat shop and at the Co-Op in Bremen and loved to check up on Dana and Robert at the Alewives dam in Warren.
He was predeceased by son, Douglas R. Johnson; granddaughter, Crystalle R. Johnson; brother, Walter Johnson; sister, Josephine Kennedy; and sister-in-law, Sharon Piper.
He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Winona B. (Miller) Johnson of Waldoboro; daughters, Arlene M. Johnson of Waldoboro and Marie Cora Johnson Pierce and husband Arthur S. Pierce III of Phippsburg; sons, Robert A. Johnson Sr. of Waldoboro and Paul G. Johnson of Waldoboro; grandsons, Robert A. Johnson Jr. and girlfriend Christiana M. Cloud of Andover, Minn., Justin J. Johnson and girlfriend Lisa J. Sack of Lake Elmo, Minn., and Larry P. Reed of New Harbor; great-grandchildren, Jordan Jeffery Walter Johnson of Elk River, Minn., Alixandra Marie Cloud of Andover, Minn., and Cheri Marie Johnson of Lake Elmo, Minn.; sisters, Eva McLain of Waldoboro, Ruth Higgins of Manchester, N.H., and Dorothy Goff and husband Richard of Manchester, N.H.; step-grandchildren, Little Art Pierce of Woolwich and Amanda Pierce of Arrowsic; sisters-in-law, Brenda Jackson and husband Ronnie of Thomaston, Sylvia Hart and husband David of Chesapeake, Va., and Janet Cunningham of Milo; brother-in-law, Raymond Kennedy of Waldoboro; several nieces, nephews, extended family and friends; and cats, Mama Kitty and Butter Bean Jr.
Should friends desire, contributions in Jake’s memory may be made to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 7, Edgecomb, ME 04556; Waldoboro V.F.W., c/o Wayne Little, P.O. Box 106, Waldoboro, ME 04572; or Make-A-Wish Foundation, 87 Elm St., Suite 203, Camden, ME 04843.
Visiting hours 6-8 p.m., Thurs., April 15 at the Hall Funeral Home, 949 Main St., Waldoboro.
Celebration of his life 1 p.m., Fri., April 16 at the Hall Funeral Home in Waldoboro. Rev. Robert Dorr will officiate. Burial will be in the Lakeview Cemetery in Union to be announced.
Arrangements are entrusted to Hall Funeral Home, Waldoboro.
