SHARON, Vt. – Angus “Gus” Roy Johnson, 61, of Sharon, Vt. passed away Feb. 22, 2021 after a four-year battle with multiple myeloma. Angus was born Dec. 16, 1959 in Springfield, Vt. He spent his early years in Vermont until his mother, Katherine Johnson, and his siblings Duncan and Jenny moved to Rockport, Mass. Angus moved back to Vermont in his later teen years. He lived with the Moore’s in Sharon, Vt. and later became a live-in property caretaker for many years in Sharon.
Angus worked many jobs and explored many places throughout his life. In the mid-1970s to the early ’80s, he spent time hitchhiking and exploring California, Canada, Utah, and Wyoming.
In the mid-’80s, Angus was a warehouseman for P&C Foods in White River Junction, Vt. He later moved to Florida where he worked for a tropical fish company. Upon his return to the Upper Valley, Angus met with his good friend, Pete Lecuyer, who helped find him a job with C&S Wholesale Grocers and later a job at White River Paper, now Swish White River.
Angus was well known to many people of differing social circles. His friendly and outgoing nature, along with his quick-witted sayings and a genuine heart of gold and concern for others, endeared him to many. Angus’s love of travel blended with his duties as truck driver’s assistant and guide, where he would meet and greet people throughout New England and upstate New York. His generosity was well known, and Angus was noted for bringing gifts and sharing whatever he might have with others.
Angus never owned a television or computer; instead his interests were rooted in the natural world that were instilled in him from his father, Donald Johnson. Like his father, Angus was a voracious reader. He was a self-taught naturalist with an encyclopedic knowledge of nature. He loved exploring the woodlands and mountains of Vermont. He was an expert at identifying flora and fauna. Angus spent many hours with his nephews teaching them the wonders of the outdoors. He also kept tropical fish for many years until the later stages of his illness.
Angus was quite adept at identifying and collecting marbles and local antique bottles. He also had amassed an impressive stone collection from all his many walks including heart-shaped stones and a very unique “beating” heart stone.
Angus is survived by his brother Duncan Johnson of Bellows Falls, Vt., sister Jenny Upham (Brad) and nephews Davious and John of East Lansing, Mich., sister Holly Moore (Blaine) of Sharon, Vt. and nephews Jason and Shane Moore, sister Beth Thompson of East Corinth, Vt. and nephews Ricky and Roy Thompson, brother Douglas Johnson (Beverly) of South Jordan, Utah and nephews Todd and Trevor Johnson, and brother Ian Johnson, three great-nieces (Evelyn Johnson, Sienna Moore, and Molly Thompson), three great-nephews (Kaden Moore, Hunter Thompson, and Jake Thompson), as well as many good friends including his friend for decades Chris Gramling (partner Diane Laware) of Sharon, Vt. He was predeceased by his mother Katherine Ray Johnson and his father Donald Douglas Johnson.
A funeral is planned for late spring. Please check the Boardway & Cilley Funeral Home in Chelsea, Vt. website for details, www.boardwayandcilley.com. A private message of sympathy for the family can be shared at www.boardwayandcilley.com.
The family is especially grateful for the excellent hospice care provided by Barbara and Peter Lecuyer at their home in White Rive Junction, Vt. The Lecuyers allowed Angus to live out his last months on earth in a warm and inviting atmosphere with plenty of opportunities to meet with family and his good friends.