Ray C. H. Johnson

Ray C.H. Johnson, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather
peacefully passed away on July 10th, 2023 after a long illness.

Ray was born in Anding, Mississippi on September 5th, 1931. Ray was passionate
about ham radio since grammar school and built his own code oscillator and transmitter
early on. He taught himself many of the amateur radio skills. After graduating from high
school, Ray attended Hinds Jr. College and the University of Alabama. After college, he
entered the U.S. Army Signal Corp. After completing Signal School in Ft. Monmouth,
NJ, Ray was assigned to The Plant Engineering Agency in Washington, D.C. This
agency had the mission to engineer and install communication systems for the
Department of Army worldwide.

Ray’s first assignment was assisting with the installation of the receiving station for the
Alternative Command Center in Sharpsburg, MD. During his assignment, he lived off
base in Martinsburg, WVA. This is where he met the love of his life, the former Joan
Lucas from Mt. Carmel, PA. Joan was a nurse working at the Newton D. Baker VA
Hospital in Martinsburg. They were married in the hospital chapel.

After being discharged from service, Ray went to work as a communications center
repair technician at the Army Telecommunication Center in the Pentagon. After 10
years there, he was transferred to the communications manager position in the agency
headquarters.

After considerable time with the US Communications Command, Ray transferred to the
USACC-MTMTS Command as Deputy Director and Technical Advisor. This agency had
the responsibility for the development and operations of the communication and data
system for the movement of military equipment and goods for the Department of
Defense.

During this time Ray received a promotion to Deputy Director of the USACC-DCPA
Support Agency with the major responsibility to provide communication and warning
system for the civil defense effort within the Department of Defense. Ray’s
responsibilities often involved traveling to the agency’s 10 locations in the continental
US. Ray was eventually promoted to the Director of the Agency after the previous
director retired.

When Jimmy Carter was elected President, he formed the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) where all emergency services for the federal government
were consolidated. Ray’s agency was transferred to FEMA where he remained until he
retired in 1986. Ray received many awards of achievement during his career including
the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal.

Ray was a founding member and the first President of the Vienna Wireless Society
which is celebrating it’s 60th anniversary this year. He was an integral part of creating
the VWS and has inspired many “HAMS” with his passion and knowledge for amateur
radio. K5RJ will be greatly missed by his brothers at VWS.

Upon retirement, Ray had many hobbies. Besides enjoying talking to people all over the
world with amateur radio, he loved playing golf and taking photographs including
processing and printing his own film. He also enjoyed woodworking and traveling to
HAM festivals with his wonderful wife.

Ray would often say the most important thing to him in the world is his family. He loved
his family dearly and he is survived by his wife Joan, his daughter Rae Milbourn and her
husband, Chip, his daughter Nancy McCleary and her husband, Patrick, his
granddaughter, Kim Coffield and her husband, Brian, his granddaughter Lauren Goudy
and her husband, Josh, his granddaughters Kathleen and Cristin McCleary, his
grandson, Sean McCleary and his great grandchildren Cate, Megan, Anna and Matthew
Coffield and Levi and Miles Goudy.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Inova Health Foundation.