Charles Andrew 'Chuck' Johnson
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Published in Boston Globe on April 20, 2025
Charles “Chuck” Andrew Johnson was a 39 year old devoted father, husband, son, son-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, and friend. He passed away Thursday, April 17th, due to complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), after a 14-month journey. He was tragically diagnosed with ALS on Valentine’s Day 2024, while his wife Nicole was 6 months pregnant with their 3rd child. He was 6’5″ and known as a gentle giant.
Chuck was born in Worcester, MA, on December 31, 1985, and was an active, playful kid and everyone wanted to be his friend. He was characteristically quiet, but had a dry sense of humor and kept everyone laughing. He grew up playing football and basketball, among other sports, attended Algonquin High School in Northboro, MA, played on the varsity football team, and worked at Northboro House of Pizza. He attended Assumption College in Worcester, close to home, played Division II football and met so many friends. He graduated with a degree in Accounting and his first full-time permanent job was at Bank of New York Mellon (BNY), where he worked for nearly 15 years. After college, he enjoyed his glory days in Southie, spent weekends boating in the summer, and watching the New England Patriots in the fall. He was an avid water skier and wakeboarder, and always talked about getting his own boat someday. He met his wife, Nicole, the love of his life, in June 2016 and they were married by the water at Danversport Yacht Club on September 14, 2018. His most precious gifts in life were his kids, Charlie (age 5), Alana (age 3.5) and Jenna (age 10 months). His lifelong dream was to be a stay-at-home father, which he ultimately did the last 14 months of his life. His primary caregivers during his journey with ALS were his wife Nicole; dad Chuck; sister Veronica; brother Greg; and best friend Lola, who all brought their strengths and areas of expertise to maintain his quality of life and keep him as comfortable as possible. Chuck was beyond patient and kept calm while everyone “fumbled” around him.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Nicole (Benjamin); and his children, Charles (Charlie) Andrew Johnson, Jr., Alana Nicole Johnson, and Jenna Eleanor Johnson, whose names pay tribute to his initials CAJ. He is also survived by his parents, Charles and Theresa Johnson; sister Veronica Hecht and her husband Daniel; and his two nephews, David and Owen (his Godson); brother Gregory; sister Lauren Cholaghian and her husband Armen; in-laws, Roy and Nancy Benjamin; sister-in-law Michelle Benjamin; brother-in-law James Benjamin and fiancée April MacDonald; sister-in-law Emily Benjamin; grandparents, Peter and Gertrude Johnson and Michael and Catherine McEneney; and countless aunts, uncles, cousins, whom he loved dearly.
The Wake will be held on Thursday, April 24th, from 3:00pm – 7:00pm, at John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, 35 Merrimack St., NORTH ANDOVER, MA. For more information or to send an online condolence, please visit: www.breenfuneralhome.com. There will be a Celebration of Life Service and Luncheon at Andover Country Club in Andover, MA, on Friday, April 25th, from 12:00pm – 4:00pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. The Burial will be private.
Chuck’s legacy will live on in the moment “Make Way for Chucklings” and raising awareness for ALS care and research. In lieu of flowers, those who wish to extend an expression of sympathy are asked to please consider donating to a powerful Massachusetts based organization that was so instrumental in providing community support and care during his journey: Compassionate Care ALS (https://ccals.org/).