William "Bill" Prescott Johnson Jr.

His parents, Gladys (Mosher) and William P. Johnson, Sr. welcomed their son into the world on August 18, 1935, in Gilsum on the family homestead.

Bill proudly served his country from 1958 until 1960 in the US Army and was a lifelong member of the Gilsum American Legion Post 85.

Bill spent his life giving back to his town and to every member of the community. He will be remembered for the many town folks that his skilled hands helped with, when their cars needed "tweaking" or service during his long tenure as owner and operator of Bill’s Garage in Gilsum.

He was a 72-year member of the Gilsum Fire Department, serving as Chief for 25 years. He was also a member of the National Civil Defense; Director of Emergency Management and Fire Warden for the Town of Gilsum, for 50 years.

Bill was named Gilsum’s Citizen of the Year in 2005. He served as the town’s road agent for many years and was a volunteer and huge supporter of the Gilsum Rock Swap.

He will be greatly missed by many, especially his two children, Carrie L. Johnson and her wife, Becky Lydon, of Keene, NH, Christopher W. Johnson of Gilsum; many nieces, nephews and extended family members; and his beloved cat of over 20 years, Oliver. His wife and best friend of 63 years, Patricia A. (Bolduc) Johnson, died on December 7, 2022. Two brothers, Neil Johnson and Dale Johnson, and a sister, Betty Pratt, predeceased him.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 11:30am in the Gilsum Congregational Church, 13 Main Street, Gilsum, NH. Family and friends are welcome to attend. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in the spring at his home in Gilsum, at a date and time to be announced.

The family would like to extend their sincere gratefulness to Bayada Hospice for their wonderful care provided to Bill during his final days at this home.

For those who wish, donations may be made in Mr. Johnson’s memory to the Gilsum Fire Department, c/o Dee Deney, Chief, PO Box 314, Gilsum, NH 03448.