Nathaniel was born in 1920 in Akron, Ohio, and his family moved when he was very young to Princeton, New Jersey, where he grew up. He attended Rutgers University for a time but did not complete his degree because he joined the war effort.
During WWII Nathaniel served from 1942-1945 in the U.S. Army, 8th Army, X Corps, 3rd Engineers Special Brigade in the Philippines, New Guinea and Borneo. He was first in the 288th QM Signal Company, and later in the Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, both attached to 3rd Engineers. The 3rd Engineers were vital to Allied victory. They were responsible for going in ahead of the troops, clearing the way for them and ensuring they could move ahead without opposition. They were also expected to fight as infantrymen if necessary. He saw ground combat and took shrapnel in his back during one battle. Nathaniel survived the sinking of several ships. The last time only he and one other man survived, and they were in the water for three days before being picked up by our troops. He was Honorably Discharged on December 5, 1945.
After the war Nathaniel worked in construction with his father-in-law and brother. He was also employed at one time as an organ repair and tuning technician and used to fly a light plane in the New York area to various job sites. He worked on the largest chapel pipe organ in the world located at the Cadet Chapel at West Point Military Academy. He worked for a number of years for Imperial, a television and radio repair shop in Peekskill, NY. Nathaniel also worked as the sound man for Allen Funt in the early days of the Candid Camera TV show, which started as a radio show called Candid Microphone in the late 1940s.
Nathaniel was best known for his career as Chief Engineer at radio station WLNA/WHUD in Peekskill, New York. He worked there from around 1960 until 1985, when he retired. As Chief Engineer he supervised the technical operations of the station, maintaining and repairing transmission facilities and equipment. He was responsible for keeping the station on the air, which often involved being called out during the night in bad weather. He installed background music for the station in retail stores and other public establishments. Nathaniel was also the voice of the Emergency Broadcast System announcements on the air for the station. When the station increased to 50,000 watts in 1981, Nathaniel moved the transmitter site and installed a five-tower directional antenna array.
His hobby was ham radio, which he participated in for many decades. He also enjoyed reading Popular Science and Popular Mechanics to keep up with all the latest technology. He could repair anything electronic or mechanical and loved repairing things for others.
He traveled all over the world with his wife Doris to places like Canada, Europe, the Mediterranean, Hawaii, China, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as traveling extensively in the United States.
He was loving, kind, and a man of integrity with a tremendous capacity for patience. He was always cheerful, optimistic and never complained, even as health problems increased with age. Often, when asked on the phone how he was doing his response would be, “I’m alive and kickin’!” If you would respond “I’m glad to hear that!” he would laugh heartily. Another phrase he was known for was “can’t complain!” He loved life and laughed frequently. He was a joy to be around and was much loved not only by his family, but also by many others outside the family circle. He loved children. He read to his children when they were small and always had time for them. He also did the same with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Since his passing many people have said that he was an important person in their life or that he was a positive influence in their life.
Nathaniel’s first wife, Evelyn June Moesel, passed away in 1961. She was the mother of his children Nathaniel, Gregory and Deirdre.
Nathaniel is survived by his wife of 56 years, Doris. He is also survived by his son and daughter-in-law Nathaniel Britton and Pamela Johnson III of Palmyra, VA; his daughter Deirdre Price of Lancaster, KY; his daughter and son-in-law Chris and Tom O’Neil of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; his grandsons and their wives Geoffrey and Alexandra Johnson of Alexandria, VA; Travis and Sarah Johnson of Gordonsville, VA; Wade and Virgila Reynolds of Van Buren, AR; his granddaughters and their husbands Kelly and Erik Bleeker of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Kim and Matt Hettich of Loxahatchee, FL; his great-grandsons Benjamin, Geoffrey Nathaniel, Nathaniel B. Johnson, IV, Jack, Bo, Colton and Aaron; his great-granddaughters Summer, Kate and Ashley; his great-great grandsons Brentley and Oaklan; his great-great granddaughter Addison; his sister Barbara Gormley of Upper Black Eddy, PA; as well as nieces, nephews and in-laws. Nathaniel was preceded in death by his son Gregory Johnson of Bakersfield, CA; son-in-law Phillip Price of Lancaster, KY; and brother Frank Johnson of Shrub Oak, NY.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Gary Sinise Foundation, P.O. Box 368, Woodland Hills, CA 91365. www.garysinisefoundation.org Gifts are tax-deductible, and benefit veterans and first responders. When you give on line there is a box you can check to donate in Nathaniel’s memory. If you mail a donation, you can put a note on the memo line of your check.
Visitation will be held on Friday, March 29, 2019 from 5:00 - 8:00 at the Kraeer-Fairchild Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 4061 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. A wake service will begin at 7:00 with Pastor Monique McBride. Nathaniel's funeral service will commence on Saturday morning, March 30, 2019 at 10:00 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 4595 Bayview Drive, Fort Lauderdale, where his Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Burial with military honors will take place in South Florida National Cemetery on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 2:45.
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