Obituary

Malcolm (Mike) Lawrence Johnson passed away peacefully with his family at his side at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae on November 27, 2011. Malcolm was born August 13, 1943 to David and Elnora Johnson in Richmond, Virginia. His father worked for the U. S Postal Service and his mother was a homemaker. He was the ninth of ten children.

Malcolm graduated from Maggie L Walker H S in 1961 and went on to attend Virginia Union and Howard University. Malcolm served 4 years in the Air Force at Hamilton AFB in Marin County CA. It was there that he got the nickname of “Mike” due to his call letters (MJ) as an air traffic controller. While there he met Leslie Harder and they were married in 1968. Malcolm loyally served Pacific Bell and then AT&T for more than 25 years as a system analyst manager retiring in 1992 designing and implementing communication systems for several of the largest businesses, hotels, and legal firms in San Francisco and other parts of Northern and Central California. He traveled back to the East Coast to teach and train at Harvard Univ. and other AT&T destinations.

For the past 20 years, Malcolm has mentored young and old in the Marin City area, has been a caretaker for his three wonderful grandchildren, Indigo, Drake and Talia. He was most proud of his son, Malcolm Jr., a Virtual Events Creative Manager. Malcolm’s wife Leslie works as a social worker in Marin County. Malcolm was past member of the USTA. He played tennis with his tennis buddies for the past thirty years at the Marinwood tennis courts and Albert’s Park in San Rafael. Tennis was his absolute love. He always said, “If I have to go…it will be on the tennis court”.

Malcolm will be greatly missed by his soul mate, partner and wife of 45 years, Leslie; his son, Malcolm Johnson Jr. and wife Shana Negin of San Francisco; grandchildren, Indigo, Drake and Talia; Malcolm Jr.’s ex-wife, Victoria Arigi and her husband Bob of Novato; Siblings, Edwin Johnson of Oakland CA, Ralph Johnson, and Miriam Johnson of Richmond, Virginia; Niece, Yolanda Scott of Richmond, Virginia; father-in-law, Col. ( Retired) Richard S. Harder and his wife Maggie of San Francisco; brother- in- law, Richard Harder and his wife Barbara of Oakland, and David Harder and partner Pia Glenn of Bowie, Maryland; and many more loving family members and friends.

The Celebration of his wonderful, giving life will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, December 3, 2011 at Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, 2 Tamalpais Drive,(off Redwood) Corte Madera, CA 94925. Gifts of remembrance may be made to the American Heart Association or a charity of your choice in Malcolm’s name. Services Entrusted to Monte’s Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo, CA (415) 453-8440.