Lebanon, NH – Fred J. Johnson, 73, died peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Fred was born on March 31, 1951, in Hanover, NH, to Carl and Gertrude (Ducharme) Johnson. Fred was the youngest of five children. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 1969 and continued onto college graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Aviation.

Fred started his piloting career right after college. One of his early jobs was flying over parts of Wyoming taking pictures for a mapping project. This is when he discovered his favorite place to visit, the Grand Tetons. He was then hired to fly at the Lebanon Municipal Airport as a flight instructor and taught many people from the Upper Valley area how to fly. He also served as a charter pilot at Lebanon and had many stories of famous people he met including politicians and the members of Aerosmith. Later he took a job as a private pilot for The Oliver Wright Company and eventually became a commercial pilot for Precision Airlines. Fred "retired" from flying after he decided to fly a plane under the French King Bridge in Massachusetts. After flying, Fred worked at Johnson Home Center and then Hypertherm Inc, where he worked until retiring at age 64.

Fred was very close with his three sons and daughters-in-law, Jason and Cheryl of White River Jct., VT, Jeremiah and Beth of Sunapee, NH, Parker and Jenn of Eatonville, WA. He adored his grandchildren Zachary, Alexis, Kadyn, Jax, Penelope, Julianna and recently became a great grandfather to Crew.

Fred had a deep connection with his mother "Gram" and cared for her until her passing in 2006. He has chosen his resting place to be next to his mother.

Beyond his favorite enjoyment of spending time with family, Fred cherished solitude and spent much of his time at the family camp in Canaan, NH, working on the property and building stone walls. He also enjoyed hunting, going on road trips, enjoying scenic views, warm fires, telling stories, and making witty jokes.

Fred is preceded in death by his brother, Rush Johnson (Sue). He is survived by his brother, Richard Johnson (Diane) of Croydon, NH; and two sisters, Gertrude Goodrich (Ted) of Springfield, VT, and Dorothy Daly (Bob) of Lower Gwynedd, PA., and many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025, from 3-4 pm at Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction, followed by a memorial service at 4 pm. Condolences may be shared with Fred's family in an online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.