Assembly Resolution No. 94

BY: M. of A. Fahy

MOURNING the death of Charles Rodney Johnson,
meritorious veteran, distinguished citizen and
devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is with feelings of deepest regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of Charles Rodney Johnson, a preeminent citizen
whose distinguished public service and caring commitment will long serve
as standards to which others might aspire; and

WHEREAS, Charles Rodney Johnson, affectionately known as Charlie,
truly lived an amazing life; born on September 13, 1932, to James
Holdman Johnson and Bert Scrivener Johnson, he died on January 12, 2017,
at the age of 84; and

WHEREAS, Raised in Bruce, Mississippi by his mother in a house
across from the local Baptist Church, Charlie Johnson was instilled with
an abiding desire for social justice and service to others from a young
age; and

WHEREAS, As a child, Charlie Johnson displayed a strong interest in
the military and spent his days playing soldier, building forts and
fighting rubber bullet battles with his friends; he went on to attend
Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi, before being
accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from West Point in 1955, Charlie Johnson
was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry; he then completed
Airborne School at Fort Benning before completing Ranger School; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Johnson's military career took him on two tours of
duty in Vietnam as a Vietnamese Ranger Advisor, an Operations Officer in
the Special Operations Group and finally as a Light Infantry Battalion
Commander in the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions; he also served two
tours at West Point in the Physical Education Department and later in
the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics; and

WHEREAS, In 1981, after more than 26 years in the United States
Army, Colonel Charlie Johnson retired while serving at Fort Devens as
the Deputy Post Commander; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Johnson's first job after retirement was at Culver
Academies, where he met a young woman named Trudy Hall; after their
marriage, having completed a long, successful career in the military, he
turned his considerable energies to supporting his wife in her career in
education; and

WHEREAS, In 1999, the couple settled in Troy, New York, when Trudy
became the Head of Emma Willard School, a preeminent boarding school for
girls; Charlie Johnson's unwavering dedication to Emma Willard was on
display daily as he cheered on its sports teams, spoke to history
classes about his military experiences, and generally served as a
grandfather figure for the entire school community; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Johnson was steadfastly dedicated to our nation's
veterans; he served on the North Albany American Legion Post No. 1610,
VFW Post No. 8444, Veterans of Lansingburgh, the Rensselaer County
Veterans Organization, and as a Stratton VA Medical Center Volunteer DAV
Van Driver; and

WHEREAS, In addition, he was on the board of trustees of Oakwood
Cemetery, the New York State Governor's Commission for State Veteran
Cemeteries, and was especially honored to serve as a member of the
board, then president of the Tri County Council Vietnam Era Veterans;
and

WHEREAS, Charlie Johnson served as the Grand Marshall of the Albany
Veterans Parade in 2008, as well as the Grand Marshall of Memorial Day
in Lansingburgh in 2011; that same year he was inducted into the New
York State Veterans' Hall of Fame, and in 2014 he was named Veteran of
the Year; and

WHEREAS, With a life-long devotion to West Point, his beloved alma
mater, Charlie Johnson remained active in the Class of 1955, serving as
Class President from 2010 to 2015; he was honored by his classmates with
a Distinguished Classmate Award in 2015, one of his most treasured
awards; and

WHEREAS, An advocate for the importance of education for all ages,
Charlie Johnson served on the advisory board for a leadership program at
Duke University, and as the Endowment Chairman of the Tri County Council
Vietnam Era Veterans; additionally, he secured scholarships for Russell
Sage students studying nursing, physical therapy, and occupational
therapy, and helped establish a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
program at Albany High School; and

WHEREAS, With the belief that there is no greater feeling of
self-satisfaction than to serve your country and know you served it
well, Charlie Johnson truly left his mark on everyone and everything he
touched during his long productive life; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his wife of 33 years, Trudy, Charlie Johnson
is survived by his first wife, Carol, and their three children, Sam
(Carol), Joseph and Wendy, as well as two grandchildren, Bradley and
Noel; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Charlie Johnson leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourning the death of Charles Rodney Johnson, meritorious veteran,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Charles Rodney Johnson.