Funeral Arrangements for Past Engineer/Active Life Member John "Jay" Johnson, Jr.

Viewing:
Monday, August 8th
La Plata Volunteer Fire Department
911 Washington Avenue
1400-1600 hrs. and 1800-2000 hrs.
Firemen's Prayer Service at 1900 hrs.

Interment:
Tuesday, August 9th
Maryland Veteran's Cemetery
Cheltenham, MD
1300 hrs.

Repast to follow at La Plata VFD

Our department mourns the loss of Jay. He faithfully served as an Active member at La Plata VFD for 41 years. Jay joined the department in 1981 and has held many positions which include: Engineer, Deputy Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Board of Director, and he served on many committees--his favorite was the Antique Apparatus Committee where he cared for our 1929 Seagrave and 1962 B Model Mack. He received many awards during his time of service to include: Top Five Driver (many years), Top Ten Responses (many years), Fire Chief's Awards, and the prestigious Samuel C. McCarthy Award.

In addition to his service with our department, he had also been a member of Potomac Heights VFD where he served as a Fire Marshal and Assistant Engineer. He was an active duty member of the United States Air Force and served with the D.C. National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base. He was also a firefighter with the Consolidated Fire Department at the Washington Navy Yard (which had three fire stations--Bolling AFB, WNY, and NRL) where he served as the pumper-operator and acting Captain at all stations.

These are just a few of Jay's accomplishments. He could often be found driving or fixing a piece of our apparatus (or anything else around the firehouse). He was a live-in driver for over 20 years, making sure apparatus were available for calls. He had a huge heart and always looked for ways to help others. It was not uncommon for him to provide meals for crews or someone in need. He enjoyed talking to people and keeping up with events around Town. He was known for his prize winning chili which won awards at many local cook offs.
Jay was an incredibly valued member of our department who we will miss tremendously. The imprint he has left is remarkable. We should all strive to serve others like he has. Jay, THANK YOU! Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.