Lee M. Johnson

Lee Maxwell Johnson, 76, of Walnut Creek, died May 7 surrounded by his family. He was born May 8, 1938 (Mother's Day) in Napa to Claude Maxwell and Mary Anne (Picetti) Johnson, joining his older sister, Phyllis. He grew up in Sonoma and Petaluma, graduating from Petaluma High School in 1956. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nevada at Reno in 1962.

Lee had a lifelong passion for trains that began at a very early age. His family's home in Sonoma was close to the Sebastiani Winery and Sebastiani Cannery, and he quickly became interested in the trains that came daily to pick up their products. He spent so much time by the train tracks, in fact, that he became known as the "Yardmaster" and would be given rides in the cab to the next stop, where family would pick him up and return him home. His interest in trains continued to grow: he entered the world of model railroading, family vacations to the Sierras included hikes up to the tracks of the transcontinental trains, and while still in high school he traveled to West Virginia for a "farewell to steam" trip on a disbanding railroad. When he went to work for General Electric in their locomotive division, he became one of the lucky ones who managed to make his living doing what he loved. Lee spent most of his career with General Electric and later worked for Southern Pacific until his retirement in 1998.

His work took him to New York, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. While living in Pennsylvania, Lee met his future wife, Barbara Magiera. They married in 1967 in Portland, Oregon and had two daughters. They lived in Sacramento and Pennsylvania before moving to Walnut Creek in 1979, where they remained. Barbara preceded him in death in 1999 after almost 32 years of marriage.

Lee was highly active in model railroading, playing leadership roles in the Bay Area S Scalers (BASS) and the National Association of S Gaugers (NASG). He was also an accomplished photographer - many of his pictures of locomotives appeared in train magazines and books. He found great enjoyment in attending annual model railroad conventions around the country and looked forward to reconnecting with all of his "train buddies" at every opportunity. It was a family joke that the birth of his oldest daughter caused him to miss a train convention. Lee even managed to pass his love of trains on to his granddaughter, who never passes a set of train tracks without talking about her grandfather.

Lee's deep faith was a guiding force throughout his life. He was a devout Catholic and an active member of St. Isidore's Catholic Church in Danville for over 35 years. He was involved in Bible study and was proud to be a 4th Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus.

Though he spent much of his time with trains and the Church, Lee also had other interests. Music was an important part of his life. His father was a music teacher, and Lee played the trombone. He enjoyed listening to music, especially big band. He also had a soft spot for dogs, particularly Norwegian Elkhounds. For him, a highlight of his trips to visit his daughters was always the time he spent with their dogs. He could often be found napping on a couch or recliner with a large dog cuddled in his lap.

Lee was true to his Italian heritage and preferred Italian cuisine. He felt the most important part of Thanksgiving dinner was his mother's homemade ravioli. However, anyone who knew him knew that he loved ice cream above all other foods. It was a running joke that every meal had to end with ice cream.

Lee also loved to travel. In recent years, he enjoyed a cruise to Alaska and he and his girlfriend, Ariani, visited several national parks. His favorite trips, however, were to Iowa to see his beloved granddaughter - he made it a priority to be with her every year on her birthday. He was eagerly awaiting the birth of his grandson and continuing that tradition with him.

Lee was a friend to everyone he met and always saw the best in people. It is a testament to him that he still counted among his many friends some of his high school classmates. He will be remembered for his optimism, kindness, and sense of humor. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed.

Lee is survived by his daughters, Kristin (Iowa City, IA) and Bethany Macaulay (Los Angeles); his sons-in-law, Dan Brock (Iowa City, IA) and Nathan Macaulay (Los Angeles); his granddaughter, Aisling Brock (Iowa City, IA); his grandson-to-be, Baby Macaulay (Los Angeles); his girlfriend, Ariani Djajadi (Concord); his sister, Phyllis Lucas (Fairfield); and his cousin, Margaret Cheney (Asheville, NC).

Memorials may be made to the Knights of Columbus Charities (kofc.org) or the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (csrmf.org). Another way to honor Lee is to consider filling out an organ donation card. His kidney transplant in 1985 was a gift of life for 29 years.

And in keeping with Lee's cheerful outlook on life, consider having a scoop of ice cream to remember him today.