John was lost on December 15, 2020, due to a shallow water blackout event.

John was a member of 29th Company and was an Honors Mathematics major with a focus on theoretical math.  During his 2/c year, John was selected for the highly competitive USNA Trident Scholar Program and conducted research on matroid invariants and error correcting codes under the tutelage of Professor Wakefield. 

John not only excelled in math but in other areas of Academy life. During the fall of his 1/c year, John was selected into the Naval Special Warfare community.  John was near the top of his class, holding a 3.97 GPA, was ranked in the top 100 academically, and top 40 overall amongst his classmates. John was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Association Leadership Award for Academic Year 2019, which is peer-selected by the top ranked (in aptitude for commissioning) midshipmen in each class in each battalion. John also participated in the United Kingdom and International Scholarship Program, several mathematics competitions, and the math and chess clubs.

John was a person of great talent, but what truly set him apart was his amazing work ethic and his humility in light of his many accomplishments.  Originally born in Pittsburgh, John was a lifelong Steelers and Penguins fan, and played almost every sport from football to lacrosse to track & field.  He also spent many years playing the violin, which brought much joy to his mother.  John was well known for his warm, engaging smile, his plain spoken and candid manner, his optimistic attitude toward his friends, and his intense love for his family, especially for his four younger brothers who adored him.  If you were a friend of John’s, you knew you had a brother to walk with you in any journey that you undertook.

For every MIDN 1/C John Johnson bracelet sold, $10 will be donated to the Johnson Scholars Fund.