Obit: Burdette Austin Johnson b.1905 Hampton, NH
Burdette Austin Johnson died Jan. 2, 2005. He was 99.
Mr. Johnson was born on Oct. 6, 1905, in Hampton, N.H., son of Austin Joseph and Annine Shaw Johnson, and was a resident of Weston, formerly of Belmont. He graduated from Weston High School with the Class of 1923, and earned a bachelor of arts degree, cum laude, from Harvard in 1927, majoring in economics.
He was a swimming instructor from 1923 to 1927; and accountant, treasurer and comptroller of several utility companies; then chief financial officer of Commonwealth Energy System, later NSTAR. He worked as a consultant for NSTAR in his retirement.
He served on numerous boards of directors, including Piscataque Pioneers, DeMolay, Cambridge Partnership for Public Education, Junior Achievement of Eastern Massachusetts, Cambridge YMCA (chairman emeritus), Cambridge Community Foundation, Rotary (since 1929), American Congregational Association, and Delta Dental. He was also president of the Class of 1927 at Harvard University.
He was the husband of the late Helen (Richardson) Johnson; father of Laurie Johnson McCanne of Pueblo, Colo., and the late Burdette A. Johnson Jr.; and grandfather of Ann Johnson, Peter Johnson, Terry McCanne, Randy McCanne, Cindy Herman and Lee McCanne. He is also survived by six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Jan. 7 at the Payson Park Congregational Church in Belmont. Arrangements were made by the Brown and Sons Funeral Home in Belmont.
Donations in Mr. Johnson's memory may be made to the Salvation Army, Box 390647, Cambridge, MA 02139.