Obituary for Wendell Sherman "Red" Johnson
Wendell S. “Red” Johnson died on May 28, 2021. He was born in Burlington, Vermont on December 26,
1940 to Louise (née Sherman) and Cleo Johnson. He grew up in Rochester, Vermont, graduating from
Rochester High School in 1958, and attended Vermont Technical College before enlisting in the U.S.
Army. He served from 1959 to 1964 as a Specialist 4th Class, receiving several commendations including
the Vermont Service Medal and the Good Conduct Award. He joined the Masonic Lodge in Rochester
and the Shrine in Rutland, Cairo Temple. He served on the board for a Shriners Hospital in
Massachusetts.
Red worked as a disk jockey and licensed broadcaster for radio station WSYB in Rutland and a lineman
for a Rutland cable TV company. He was a safety professional (for 28 years at IBM in Essex Junction, then
with the State of Vermont Risk Management Division, Ben & Jerry’s, and Twincraft) and founding
member of the Vermont Safety & Health Council. In addition to his full-time employment, he was an
auxiliary State Trooper, a Chittenden County Deputy Sheriff, and a patrol officer in Milton. He was a
Captain, Training Officer and Assistant Fire Chief for Colchester fire company and a first aid instructor.
In “retirement,” Red was Animal Control Officer for Huntington, a salesperson at Radio Shack, and a
member of the Vermont State Guard. He served as a volunteer for the South Burlington Police
Department. He liked using his tractor to help neighbors with snow removal. Red was a parishioner at St. Francis Xavier church and a volunteer with Boy Scout Troop 658 at St. Francis Xavier school in Winooski. He was an RC plane enthusiast and a Ham Radio Amateur Extra, K1RED. Red embraced his “Irish By Marriage” status and traveled to Ireland several times. He enjoyed hunting (21 straight years of reporting a legal deer), fishing in the Great Lakes and of course around Vermont, and camping, or more accurately, “glamping.”
Red was predeceased by his parents, his brother, Wayne, his son, Keith, and his best buddy, Bandit.
Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Maureen McMahon Johnson and her family, his children James
Johnson and Patricia Fecteau, their spouses Maria and Randy, his daughter-in-law Lora Johnson, sister-in-
law Lydia Johnson, and numerous grandchildren and extended family members. He was very, very proud
of his family.
In his own words, “Don’t feel sorry for me, my friends. I think I’ve more than lived my life to the absolute
fullest. Scares me sometimes when I think of all I have done and survived.”
Knowing Red’s love of animals and children, donations may be made in his memory to the Franklin
County Animal Rescue, 30 Sunset Meadows, St. Albans, VT 05478, the Shriners Hospitals for Children
(see https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc/ways-to-give1), or to Saint Francis Xavier School, 5 St Peter Street, Winooski, VT 05404.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10am on Saturday June 19 at St. Francis Xavier Church, 3 St Peter Street,
Winooski, VT. Burial will be at a later date at Woodlawn Cemetery, Rochester, VT, in the Johnson family
plot.
1940 to Louise (née Sherman) and Cleo Johnson. He grew up in Rochester, Vermont, graduating from
Rochester High School in 1958, and attended Vermont Technical College before enlisting in the U.S.
Army. He served from 1959 to 1964 as a Specialist 4th Class, receiving several commendations including
the Vermont Service Medal and the Good Conduct Award. He joined the Masonic Lodge in Rochester
and the Shrine in Rutland, Cairo Temple. He served on the board for a Shriners Hospital in
Massachusetts.
Red worked as a disk jockey and licensed broadcaster for radio station WSYB in Rutland and a lineman
for a Rutland cable TV company. He was a safety professional (for 28 years at IBM in Essex Junction, then
with the State of Vermont Risk Management Division, Ben & Jerry’s, and Twincraft) and founding
member of the Vermont Safety & Health Council. In addition to his full-time employment, he was an
auxiliary State Trooper, a Chittenden County Deputy Sheriff, and a patrol officer in Milton. He was a
Captain, Training Officer and Assistant Fire Chief for Colchester fire company and a first aid instructor.
In “retirement,” Red was Animal Control Officer for Huntington, a salesperson at Radio Shack, and a
member of the Vermont State Guard. He served as a volunteer for the South Burlington Police
Department. He liked using his tractor to help neighbors with snow removal. Red was a parishioner at St. Francis Xavier church and a volunteer with Boy Scout Troop 658 at St. Francis Xavier school in Winooski. He was an RC plane enthusiast and a Ham Radio Amateur Extra, K1RED. Red embraced his “Irish By Marriage” status and traveled to Ireland several times. He enjoyed hunting (21 straight years of reporting a legal deer), fishing in the Great Lakes and of course around Vermont, and camping, or more accurately, “glamping.”
Red was predeceased by his parents, his brother, Wayne, his son, Keith, and his best buddy, Bandit.
Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Maureen McMahon Johnson and her family, his children James
Johnson and Patricia Fecteau, their spouses Maria and Randy, his daughter-in-law Lora Johnson, sister-in-
law Lydia Johnson, and numerous grandchildren and extended family members. He was very, very proud
of his family.
In his own words, “Don’t feel sorry for me, my friends. I think I’ve more than lived my life to the absolute
fullest. Scares me sometimes when I think of all I have done and survived.”
Knowing Red’s love of animals and children, donations may be made in his memory to the Franklin
County Animal Rescue, 30 Sunset Meadows, St. Albans, VT 05478, the Shriners Hospitals for Children
(see https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc/ways-to-give1), or to Saint Francis Xavier School, 5 St Peter Street, Winooski, VT 05404.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10am on Saturday June 19 at St. Francis Xavier Church, 3 St Peter Street,
Winooski, VT. Burial will be at a later date at Woodlawn Cemetery, Rochester, VT, in the Johnson family
plot.