Charles Johnson

Charles Stanley Johnson, 79, of Canton, Georgia passed away on April 18, 2025, peacefully after a long illness. Charles was born May 3, 1945, in Lagonda, South Franklin Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, the son of David L. Johnson and Dorothy B. Caldwell Johnson. He was the fifth of seven children. Charles graduated from McGuffey High School in Claysville, Pennsylvania, class of 1964. He went on to study at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, graduating with a Batchelor of Science in Speech and Hearing in 1968. He went on to earn a Master of Education from the University of Georgia in 1973. Charles married the love of his life, Annette, on May 29, 1971, at the Canton First United Methodist Church in Canton, Georgia. Charles and Annette were married for 53 years, until his death. They gave birth to their only child, Matthew Charles Johnson in 1985. Charles worked for the Cherokee County Public School System from 1968 until his retirement in 1999. He was the first speech therapist hired by the Cherokee County Public Schools and at the time of his retirement, he served as the County’s Lead Speech Therapist. Charles was a lover of the outdoors, including hiking and camping. He was especially fond of hunting and fishing. In November 1984, while deer hunting, he killed a black bear in the Cohutta Wilderness Area in northwest Georgia in self-defense. The bear was the third largest bear killed in Georgia at that time. He is survived by his wife, Annette Johnson; his son Matthew Charles Johnson of Washington, DC; his sisters Lois Meyer of Washington, Pennsylvania and Judy Lindsey of Warren, Texas; his sister-in-law and brother-in-law Karen and Don Hunter of Colbert, Georgia; his sister-in-law Eva Lee Johnson of Washington, Pennsylvania; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father David L. Johnson; his mother Dorothy B. Caldwell Johnson; his brothers David Johnson and William “Bill” Johnson; and his sisters Dorothy Nyswaner and Emily Briggs. Visitation will be held on Monday, April 21, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Darby Funeral Home in Canton. A memorial service will be held at Canton First Methodist Church on Tuesday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Canton First Methodist Church building expansion fund. The service will be live-streamed at: cantonfirstmethodist.online.church The caring staff of Darby Funeral Home is honored to serve the Johnson family.

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Charles Johnson

May 3, 1945 - April 18, 2025