Resident of Milford, NH Mark R. Johnson, 63, passed away in Newbury, NH on June 18, 2020.

Born July 31, 1956 in Worcester, Massachusetts to David Johnson of Georges Mills, NH and Sylvia (Cossar) Johnson of New London, NH, Mark was a good, decent man who loved his family, and worked hard his whole life; an endlessly loyal employee in the printing industry for over 40 years.

A gifted athlete, he excelled in track, basketball, and golf in Hopewell Junction, NY and Satellite Beach, FL during his middle and high school years. Moving to Amherst, NH in 1973, Mark became starting center for MASH’s 1973-1974 winning basketball team. After graduating from Milford Area Senior High in 1974, he walked-on to the 1975 Syracuse Freshman basketball team. He played basketball well into his forties in the Wilton Men’s League, and later coached several Milford youth basketball teams to winning seasons.

He was an audiophile and music lover with an eclectic and wide-ranging taste in jazz, punk, and blues, and an astounding knowledge of jazz history.

His frugality was selective but well-known; his frequent visits to the town dump’s “still good shed” scored many ‘finds’. He also fancied himself a car mechanic, much to the chagrin of his actual mechanic.

Mark was an accomplished skier, and a skilled hiker, mountain-biker, and ‘bushwacker’, completing both the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail. He also hiked some of the Rockies with his wife. He was a proud member of the NH AMC 4000 Footer Club. He will be greatly missed by his favorite hiking companions, “Neighbor Dave” and “Chickety” of Concord, NH. He loved the mountains, and he enjoyed sharing that feeling with fellow hikers – if they could keep up with him. Every question about how much longer the trail continued was answered by, “Just around the bend.”. He often went ahead on trails at his own pace, and greeted his hiking companions at the top with, “What took you so long?”

On one of his many bike-rides, he swore he’d seen a mountain lion. NH Fish & Game’s disbelief of his sighting irked him to no end. This became an often-discussed hot topic with Mark, to which everyone around him could attest.

In addition to his parents, Mark is survived by his beloved wife of forty years, Chriss (Kligerman) Johnson, Milford, NH, and devoted son, Hollis Johnson, Brooklyn, NY.

Also survived by brothers Craig Johnson, Eric Johnson, Victor Johnson, and stepmother, Ki Johnson, all of NH, the Johnson cousins, and many Kligerman relatives as well.

A Celebration of Life will be planned post-Covid. Instead of flowers, please consider donating to The Appalachian Mountain Club – New Hampshire Chapter in Mark’s memory.

To sign an online guestbook please visit www.chadwickfuneralservice.com.