Charles Duncan Johnson died on May 29, 2019, at Fairfax Hospital due to cardiac arrest. Born in Saint Pauls, North Carolina, Charles was the son of Benson Tuney Johnson and Berline Smith Johnson. A graduate in engineering from North Carolina State in June 1963, he immediately began a career aeronautical engineer with the US Navy, taking leading roles in the design and program management of experimental US Navy aircraft. He received a Naval Air Systems Command superior service award noting “ that his outstanding contributions to naval aviation in the areas of propulsion and naval design will be impacting future US and European aircraft design far into the next century.” The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, in 1994, awarded Charles the Aircraft Design Award for the “ innovative and original approach, conceptualization and design of the X-31 aircraft.” Upon retirement in October 1996, after a short stint with the private sector, Charles traveled extensively with his life partner and eventual husband, Edward Parker Cambio. They were able to be married on July 12, 2016. Edward died in September 2017.
Charles is survived by extended family members and friends including nieces Brenda Ann Johnson, Janet Johnson Newsom and cousins Larry B Johnson, Sue Britt Rainey and Kathy Johnson Imbriani; brothers in law and sisters in law, John and Carol Devens and David and ( now deceased) Arlene Kuser; nephews and nieces, John and Sarah Devens, Chris and Teresa Devens, Michael and Lorraine Devens, Ted and Diane Devens, Chris and Christine Oliff, and Allen Kuser along with many grand nieces and nephews; and Lane Oliver and Daniel and Juli Mulhollan.
Burial service will be held 11am, July 5 at Fairfax Memorial Park.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Charles Duncan Johnson, please visit our Tree Store.