LINN ERIC JOHNSON
February 7, 1941 – May 15, 2025
Linn Eric Johnson was born on February 7, 1941, to Eric and Dorothy Johnson of Hackettstown, NJ. The middle child between two sisters, he enjoyed an idyllic childhood in small-town New Jersey. Nicknamed “Stretch” after growing to 6’4″ in high school, Linn went on to attend Rutgers University, earning a degree in Forestry. He later served in the U.S. Army before earning his MBA from Long Island University, beginning what would become a 35-year career in human resources that included roles at American Airlines, Chase Bank, and Random House.
Linn married Ute O’Brien on June 21, 1969, and together they raised two sons, Kipp and Peter. He had a deep love for the natural world which he shared with his family through unique vacations that centered on hiking and exploring. His love for nature and exploration defined much of his life.
Curious, kind and industrious, Linn prided himself on being a jack of all trades. He was the sort of person who rolled up his sleeves and dove into projects with cheerful determination. He had a gift for solving tricky problems and often bit off more than he could chew, trusting in his ability to figure it out along the way. Fueled by optimism and grounded in pragmatism, he approached every challenge with humility and joy. He did things out of genuine passion and just liked seeing a job get done. He was never boastful or judgmental, always gracious, and gave freely of himself without expectations. Even in disagreement, he was never disagreeable.
Linn’s life unfolded like a book told in rich and varied chapters. After retiring in 2001, he truly came into his own. With a reverence for science and the outdoors, Linn embraced a vibrant second act as a conservationist, environmentalist, explorer, and amateur paleontologist.
Fittingly, he was named after Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. He embodied Linneaus’ mantra: “Omnia mirari etiam tritissima” — “find wonder in everything, even the most commonplace.”
Linn devoted himself to causes that aligned with this worldview, serving on boards of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, PW Greens, and the Science Museum of Long Island. He was an active member of The Explorers Club, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, and Utah Friends of Paleontology, and supported organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, the Nature Conservancy, North Shore Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club.
Linn’s retirement years were marked by grand adventures: expeditions to Easter Island, Patagonia, Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, Antarctica’s McMurdo Station, a summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro to mark his 72nd birthday, and many others. He planned spirited, immersive trips with his children and grandchildren — from canoeing down the Missouri River in Montana to exploring a working ranch in Oregon. On one such trip, his grandson Beckett joined the fun, searching for bird feathers and flint arrowheads and playing soccer with “Poppi,” who chased the ball on his 80-year-old knees with reckless abandon.
He was also a troubadour at heart. An avid guitarist and founding member of the Front Porch Players, he was a skilled lyricist and crafter of clever limericks and odes that he gifted to those closest to him. His acute memory made him not only a sharp writer and dispenser of idioms, but also a natural fit as the family historian. Linn authored several family biographies, preserving Johnson history and lore for future generations. He had an anecdote for everything and delighted in sharing stories (even if you’d heard them before).
Linn was a lifelong learner, a quiet helper, a lover of life’s wild places, and a steady source of warmth and wisdom. Above all, he was a joyful presence who saw the best in people and met the world with openness, curiosity, and kindness.
He is survived by his wife, Ute; sons, Kipp and Peter; grandsons, Beckett and Elliott; and sisters, Karen and Beth. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A celebration of Linn’s life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY, on July 26. If you would like to attend, or if you have any thoughts, memories, or photos of Linn to share, please reach out to johnsonute48@gmail.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, or one of the many causes Linn championed.
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