Thomas A Johnson was born in Cleveland Ohio in August 1928. He attended East Technical High School specializing in printing while working on school printing jobs and for the student newspaper.

After graduation he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, the precursor to the US Air Force, and then served in the US Navy aboard the USS Salem from 1950 to 1952 and was awarded the Navy Occupational Service Medal. By the time he was discharged he had married and become the proud father of a daughter, Deborah Esther, and the family moved to Massachusetts.

Initially, Mr. Johnson could not get a typographical union job in Massachusetts because he was Black, so he commuted to Albany, New York each week. After a few years he landed a job with the Boston Globe, helping to integrate the pressroom. Once relieved of a weekly commute to New York, he could spend much more time with his family. He worked for the Globe for many years and then went on to work for Addison-Wesley publishing and the Revere Journal.

At age 50, Mr. Johnson enrolled in college, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in vocational education in 1984 and with a master’s in education in 1989, both from what is now Fitchburg State University. His second career was teaching the Boston Public Schools, and after retiring kept working as a substitute teacher in Boston and at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School in Haverhill.

For nearly 40 years, Mr. Johnson was a dedicated member of Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill serving in leadership positions and on many committees. His generosity was never so evident than when in 1977 he took out a second mortgage on his home to help provide funds for the church to rebuild after an act of arson destroyed the church. He brought his love of teaching and mentoring into his community work. Several young people he mentored through the active youth council went on to college into the education field or the ministry.

In addition to being an active and faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church, Mr. Johnson was a life member of the Merrimack Valley branch of the NAACP serving as treasurer for many years, and as President from 1990 to 1996.

Thomas A. Johnson passed away on April 9, 2013 in Haverhill. He was 84 years old.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2013/05/19/thomas-johnson-haverhill-former-naacp-branch-president-stalwart-calvary-baptist-church/xoKIwP8iqmpkaQKGXkk6QP/story.html

https://obituaries.eagletribune.com/obituary/thomas-johnson-770975841