Rich Johns passed away on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Born in Revere, MA, on June 17, 1953, Rich packed a lot of different experiences into his 71 years of life. He graduated in 1978 from Harvard College with Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry and Mathematics. He started his professional career as a genetics researcher for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. He then returned to higher education and earned master’s degrees in physics and business administration from Boston College, where he worked as an adjunct physics professor while pursuing his doctorate in Physics. Before completing his PhD, he left academia to pursue a career in business. He followed many different paths in the business world to include operations management, mortgage brokering, and commercial real estate, before finding his final career happiness as a cyber security engineer. He retired during the COVID pandemic, although he continued to follow cyber security trends and various science topics from his favorite recliner.

Rich was a life-long learner with an avid interest in military history. Prior to going to Harvard, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he earned a Silver Star and multiple purple hearts. After college, where he played on the defense of the Harvard Football team, he was scouted by multiple NFL teams and attended training camp for the Minnesota Vikings. His NFL career ended before it began due to injuries sustained in a car accident while still in the training camp, however he held his extreme love for the Vikings (and the New England Patriots) throughout his life. From December 2010 to May 2012, Rich served as the civilian Senior Cyber Security Engineer for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan, under the command of General David Petraeus.

His years of interest and study of the American Civil War led him to start the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, a re-enactment unit, in 1985. It was the first southern re-enacting unit in New England. Fondly known to the re-enacting community as Captain Johns, he led the unit until 1994, when he moved to Virginia with his wife and two feline children and continued to re-enact with both the 2nd South Carolina Volunteer Infantry and other Virginia-based units through 2016.

Rich is survived by his loving wife and life partner of 34 years, Karole (Boggs) Johns, and six feline children: Sweet Pea, Beauregard, Buford, Braxton, Jeb, and Rosie of Winchester, VA; brother Richard “Dick” Carlson of Florida; brother-in-law Ralph Littlefield of Saugus, MA; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Kerrie and Leo Hanley of Hillsborough, NC; his other sisters-in-law Kristie Barszcz of North Kingstown, RI, and Erin Boggs of Bellflower, IL; his seven nephews Tucker Carlson of Florida, Buckley Carlson of Washington, DC, Alex Barszcz (Cathy Dudley) of Coventry, RI, Nathan Hanley of Gastonia, NC, Noah Hanley of Hillsborough, NC, Forrest Boggs (Kaylie) of Lacombe, LA, and Logan Boggs of Farmer City, IL; his niece Katherine Pronovost (Matthew) of Thomaston, CT; two great nieces Nora Grace Pronovost and Josie Olivia Barszcz; cousin Ann-Marie Breuer of Hamilton, MA, and cousins Pelle, Eva, Kim, and Dennis Tangfeldt of Hassleby, Sweden. He is pre-deceased by his parents, Edward Johns and Dorothy (Anderson) Bohnfeldt, his brothers Edward Johns and Wayne Johns, and his sister, Janice (Johns) Littlefield.

As a registered organ donor and a believer in better living through modern science, Rich’s brain and spinal fluid will be sent to Duke University for use in research of neurological disorders such as Parkinsons disease. Had he known of this program before his death, he would have chosen it personally, both for his love of science and belief in the recent research linking football-related head injuries with diseases like Parkinsons.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Rich’s name to the Wounded Warriors Project, a charity he proudly supported as a veteran from its inception. An informal gathering to celebrate Rich’s life will be held from 1-5 on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at Donato’s Touch of Italy, 1361 N Frederick Pike, Winchester, VA, 22603. Come and share laughter through tears with stories and remembrances of the “Big Man,” aka Captain Johns, with family and friends.