James Myron Johnson

J. Myron Johnson(83) of Tantammaheag Rd , Old Lyme, husband of Constance B. Johnson died on April 23, 2011. He was born at home, delivered by his father, on August 4, 1927 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, the son of the late Sophie and Walfred Johnson, MD. Myron attended Sauk Centre and Worcester, MA Public Schools and received a AB from the U of Minnesota in 1948, a MA from Clark University in Worcester in 1950 and a PhD from Columbia University, in 1958. He spent his early years in Minnesota going to a one room school house until his family moved to Worcester at the beginning of WWII. He graduated from HS early to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute and then enlisted in the US Navy before the war ended. He married Connie, one of his high school classmates in 1950 and they enjoyed 61 years together, raising a family of eight children in Darien, CT before retiring in Old Lyme. Myron worked for Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ from 1949-1956 as a psychology researcher and for Lever Brothers in Manhattan from 1956-1966 as a Management Placement Counselor. He returned to Stevens to direct the Psychology Testing Laboratory and later was promoted to Department Head of Management Science, and then Dean of the Third Curriculum. He remained a professor of Management Science even after he officially retired in 1989 and had 4 of his own children as students. He was one of the first psychologists in the new field of Industrial Psychology and was known for his specialty of mid career job changes and "Head Hunting" or the selection of executives. He was most proud of being on the Barbara Walter’s Show in the 1970s with Gloria Steinem where Careers were discussed. He was in Who’s Who in American by the time he was age 35. He was member of the NY Academy of Sciences and Sigma Xi.

Myron had a mentally challenged younger brother which spurred his interest in mental health. He was active in the Darien Mental Health Association, ultimately becoming president. A liberal anti-war Democrat, he was a CT delegate for Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and walked out of the CT delegation with the other McCarthy supporters when their candidate did not get a fair proportion of seats to the national convention. He ran for State Senate from the 26th District in 1972. Although he lost the election, he was pleased that he won more votes than a Democrat would be expected to from Fairfield County. Paul Neuman and Joanne Woodward had a fund raising party at their home in his honor. While in Darien he was on the Board of Directors of the Darien Fund and the Stamford Psychiatric Clinic. He joined the Indian Guides with his younger children and was active on the Democratic Town Committee.

Myron and Connie retired to Old Lyme in 1986. There he became active in the Men’s Club of Christ the King Church and his special interest, the Prison Mission. He utilized his background as a counseling Industrial Psychologist to assist the women at York Prison to come up with appropriate career goals and to be prepared for jobs upon leaving prison. His special hobby interest was genealogy and he traced his own German and Swedish roots back to the 1800s and Connie’s Irish and English roots back to the 1800s and 1600s respectively. At Stevens, he took a sabbatical year and researched Frederick Taylor going to Germany for the research and donating the Videotape that he produced to the Stevens’ Library.

He was predeceased by his older sibling, Allen Johnson, who died in childhood, his younger siblings, Kathleen “Kitty” Johnson Griesemer of Hoosick Falls, NY and Philip Johnson of Worcester, MA. He is also survived by his eight children, Kathryn L. Johnson, MD (Thomas Scanlon) of Niantic, Peter M. Johnson (Julie) of Hopewell, NJ, Donna J. St. Germaine (Paul) of Fiskdale, MA, Daniel P Johnson of Milford CT, Amy J. Wyland (Cliff) of Bend OR, Linda J. Cianci (Angelo) of Wayne, NJ, Eric T. Johnson (Kim) of Charlestown, NH, and Christian A. Johnson (Gretchen) of Needham, MA, 18 grandchildren, 4 step-grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday at 10:30am in Christ The King Church, McCurdy Rd., Old Lyme, CT. Calling hours will be held on Tuesday from 6-8pm at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Beckwith La., Old Lyme, CT

Donations in his memory may be made to the Myron Johnson Career fund, New Life Prison Ministry, 20 Goodwin Street, Niantic, CT 06357 . To sign the on line guest book visit www.fultontherouxoldlyme.com.