Carl Douglas Johnson

I had just been emailing with Carl on Friday - he sounded really content with his current life - with Susan, his dogs and his grandkids. With love and loads of memories of Carl, Julie RESPONSES FROM SAB MEMBERS: Ai Yamamoto: oh such horrible news. So wonderful though that he was enjoying his life with his family and grandkids. I can see and hear him laughing that Carl Johnson laugh when he thinks of something clever. How endearing that must have been to his grandkids... Sarah Tabrizi: I am so sad and sorry to hear of Carl’s sudden passing, he was a brilliant scientist, a kind mentor, and a guiding light in HD research, he will be greatly missed by all of us Gill Bates: So sorry to hear of this very sad and sudden event. Carl was an outstanding leader for the science direction of the HDF and was tireless in his support of those of us on the SAB. I also valued Carl’s support and friendship and discussing science over a glass or two of red wine. Bernard Ravina: Terribly sad news, such a brilliant and devoted scientist, he will really be missed William Yang: I am so sorry to hear the sad news! Carl had been a visionary leader for HDF, a champion for junior faculty (including myself when I started my lab), and a dear friend who was an infinite source of wisdom and fun stories. I missed chatting with him about science and life at HDF workshops and meetings. Michelle Gray: This is very sad news! Carl was a huge help for me when I started my lab. Always an advocate for junior investigators. Jenny Morton: Carl was a big figure in my early HDF life - I spent many a happy hour arguing with him about science and even more drinking very large glasses of wine with him. I am so glad he moved when he did. He had a great life, and I am glad for him that he went suddenly, although that would not be so easy for Susan. Diane Merry: What heart-breaking news. Carl was a gem. Bev Davidson: Carl meant a lot to all, and he certainly brought life to the HDF reviews and workshops and had endless advice and stories to keep us motivated and engaged. He will be missed terribly. Jeffery Kelly: Always enjoyed my discussions with Carl. He was good for the field, he questioned dogma in a sophisticated fashion, and raised the bar for all concerned–which is what good science directors do. He will be missed! Christopher Pearson: Very sad news, a loss on so many fronts, to so many. Joan Steffan: I am so sorry to hear this news. I had many animated scientific discussions with Carl that really impacted my research. I will greatly miss him! Harry Orr: So sorry to hear. Carl was great. Rick Morimoto: so very sad. he was such a wonderful spirit of hdf coalition in particular! Lynn Raymond: So sorry to hear this. I have fond memories of Carl's enthusiasm and incredible interest in science and HD. He will be missed. Leslie Thompson: Carl has been a treasure as a friend and for HDF and HD field in general. He really was so happy with his life which is so good to know Frank Bennett: This is indeed sad news. Nancy and Alice Wexler: We want to add our love and memories to the sadness circulating through the ether with the loss of Carl-- inventiveness, his generous spirit, his curiosity and kindness and his great sense of humor. Nancy and I too learned so much from him, about science but also about music, especially folk and bluegrass-- the last email I (Alice) received from him announced that he had "a new favorite folk singer, AJ Lee: northern Ca darling for a while though she is only now 22 years old. Please listen to the attached song, from 7 years ago when she was 15 or 16. Another beautiful voice..." Like Carl's…https://youtu.be/Z_V9ENXCD8Y Bob Horvitz: This is shocking and very sad news. Carl was a good friend, and a true inspiration. I got to know Carl during the early days of C. elegans research; I think he preceded me into the field. We then worked very closely together in the context of NemaPharm, his biotech baby, and its various guises through Sequana and Axys. And then once more with HDF and the HDF family. Carl will be very much missed by me and by the many others who loved him. Joyce Storey: This is such very sad news. :( I enjoyed working with Carl when he was our Science Director and always looked forward to seeing him at our conferences. He will be sorely missed. He was a wonderful person.

Here's a circa 1973 photo of 3 young: Techies, Carl , Jim Rand, and Ed Hedgecock, somewhere in the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena.

Carl and William Yang, Prague 2010

Carl touched a lot of people with his curiosity, wonder, intelligence and passion for science. Many people were expressing their comments of his effect on them on email yesterday. He made a mark, a positive mark… that is about all we can ask for in this world.

Carl and I both served on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Michelson Prize and Grants Foundation. Carl often had profound insights into the research that no one else in the group had - he never hesitated to dig deep into the literature to understand a grant we were reviewing, and his ability to think critically about the work was stellar. He read widely and critically in the scientific literature, and our group benefited enormously from his deep and logical style of thinking. But he was not just a scientist - he was a gentle, caring, and funny man, always willing to see the irony or humor in a situation. We will all miss him terribly.

Carl was a force of nature. I first met him on a sabbatical to Tony Stretton’s lab in Madison in the late 80’s. I was instantly taken by his boisterously positive, welcoming, generous demeanor and the constant explosion of brilliant ideas — some of which advanced my own research. He feasted on intellectual challenges, sometimes proposing outlandish experiments, then tirelessly helping them come to fruition. He cherished his friendships and family. Whenever we would meet, usually at Tony’s, it was an Occasion, always accompanied by his patented grin and gigantic laugh. I will miss those visits and conversations with him. My deepest condolences to Susan and the family.