JOHNSON

Robert J. Johnson, 91, of Seven Lakes, died Monday, April 4, 2011, at his residence.
No services are planned at this time.
Mr. Johnson was born Oct. 12, 1919, in Uniontown, Fayette County, Pa., to the late N. Dale Johnson and Ethel Dixson Johnson. He was raised on a small farm owned by his paternal grandparents, Lydia Belle Snider Dixson and John Nicholas Dixson.  
In 1938 Mr. Johnson graduated from Penn State University, having been selected from a group of Uniontown candidates based upon competitive examinations.
Following graduation in 1942 with a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgy, he joined Republic Steel Corp. in Canton and Massillon, Ohio, where he gained extensive experience in the production and application of alloys and stainless steel for military and civilian uses. While at Republic he obtained a certification in business economics and finance from the University of Chicago and the Wharton School of Finance. He also became a licensed professional engineer in the state of Ohio.  
Mr. Johnson left Republic in 1953 to become chief metallurgist at the Cleveland Chain and Hoist Co. Shortly thereafter, he joined the International Nickel Co. in their Pittsburgh district office. Following several years of promotional work in that area, Mr. Johnson was transferred to Inco’s headquarters in New York City.  
Rising from section head and group leader in product development, Mr. Johnson was named manager of USA market development in 1976. During these years in product and market development, he directed numerous projects for the advancement of new alloys and end-use markets for nickel. He became a nationally recognized expert on low temperature alloys and case hardened steel, including markets for nickel-containing materials in heavy machinery and transportation equipment.
Author of 31 publications, Mr. Johnson made numerous presentations on the subjects to clients across the USA. His technical affiliations included the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the British Iron and Steel Institute.  
After retirement in 1981, Mr. Johnson resided with his wife, the former Laura E. Kanengeiser, of Bessemer, Pa., and their daughter, Suzanne, in Berkeley Heights, N.J., and Seven Lakes.
From 1985 to 1996 Mr. Johnson was a consultant specializing in alloys and stainless steel, servicing firms in the U.S. for the Nickel Development Institute based in Toronto. 
In addition to professional matters, he was actively interested in tennis, photography, the history of early America and classical music. For many years he was a member of the Twin Oaks Tennis Club in Morristown, N.J., and the Seven Lakes Tennis Club. From 1951 to the present he studied, recorded and photographed wildflowers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and the Southwestern states.
Mr. Johnson served as a volunteer at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey and the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill, and also the Weymouth Woods State Nature Preserve in Southern Pines. He was a past president of the Sandhills Photography Club, life member of the Nature Conservancy, and a life member of the Sandhills National History Society. Other memberships included the Seven Lakes Country Club, North Carolina Botanical Garden, New England Wildflower Society, and Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  
His writings and photographs relating to outdoor subjects appeared in New Jersey Outdoors, Bird Watchers Digest, American Forest, publications of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and McGraw-Hill Book Co.  
In addition to his daughter, Suzanne, he is survived by a sister, Mary Belle Cordell, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; a nephew, Robert Dale Johnson, of Agoura, Calif.; and a niece, Nancy Brooks, of Atlanta.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Nature Conservancy, 1815 North Lynn St., Arlington, VA 22209, specified for the Preservation of Land in the Continental USA. Online condolences may be made at www.bolesfuneralhome.com.
Boles Funeral Home of Seven Lakes is serving the family.