George Michael JohnsonOxnard, CAGeorge Michael Johnson of Oxnard, California passed away peacefully on May 22, 2017 at home, with his wife and daughter at his bedside. A 60-year resident of Oxnard, he was born on July 16, 1930 to Hubert and Margaret Johnson of Glendale, Arizona at their residence on Northern Avenue. He was the sixth of nine children.George is epitomized by his work ethic, his devotion to the Catholic faith and his generosity in helping people. From an early age, George was led to the Church and to the Virgin Mary in particular. He earned money from a paper route to pay for his own tuition at St. Mary's Catholic high school. He sent his three children to Santa Clara Catholic schools. He became a Eucharistic Minister at Santa Clara Parish and after he retired, volunteered for the local St. Vincent de Paul program for nearly two decades. He was also a big fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football. When he was of age, he enlisted in the United States Navy and became a Hospital Corpsman. After his service, he graduated from Radiology school in San Diego and that led to a 34-year career as Chief Technologist at St. John's Regional Medical Center. During his tenure, he regularly worked overtime and on-call shifts and still found the time to coach his sons in Little League baseball.Soon after his honorable discharge from the Navy, he met the love of his life, Miss Mary Ann Gardulski, whom he made his wife on April 11, 1953, just six months after they met. Married for 64 years, they had three children: Patrick, Mary Beth, and Tom. There are four granddaughters, Lauren Johnson Pryor (Austin, TX), Faith Johnson Thibodeaux (Lafayette, LA), Meredith Johnson (Ducson, LA), and Adessa Johnson (Arcata, CA) and two great grandsons, Ashe and Gabriel (Austin, TX).George joined the Radiology Department at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix in August of 1953 as a staff technologist. He made the pivotal decision in 1957 to move from the Arizona heat to the Southern California coastal town of Oxnard. Late in his career he transferred to computers via the Health Data Systems, developing the paperless system in the hospital during the last four years prior to retiring in 1995.George earned his private pilot's license in 1976 and enjoyed that pastime for the next 30 years, flying from Oxnard to such places as Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Anchorage, Alaska; and of course Catalina Island for a quick Buffalo burger on quiet Sunday afternoons. He also happily was able to fly in Hawaii and Australia. After retirement, he volunteered at the hospital for a year before joining the Board of the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul. In 2003, he was honored for his service when he received the "Partners in Service Award," presented by Catholic Charities. From 1994 through 2008 he managed the St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores in Oxnard and served variously as treasurer and president. In the early 1990s he became very active in the acquisition and distribution of both "Food Share" for the poor and scheduling of the monthly pickup of reusable goods for sale in the Thrift Stores. He is preceded in death by his son Patrick, and survived by his wife, Mary Ann, and daughter Mary Beth and son Tom. He also leaves his four legged companion, Remy.Services are scheduled for May 30, 2017 at Santa Clara Church in Oxnard. Viewing will be at 9:00 am, with the rosary at 9:30 am followed by a mass at 10:00. Arrangements are through Santa Clara Mortuary.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles. Checks may be mailed to SVDPLA, Attention: David Garcia, 210 N. Ave. 21, Los Angeles, CA 90031. Please write George Johnson on the memo line. All contributions will be forwarded to the Santa Clara Conference.