George McAfee Johnson, 80, of Springfield, passed away on Monday, May 11 from complications related to the Parkinson’s Disease he had lived with for several years.

George was born in Greenwich, Connecticut on September 28, 1945, though when he was only three months old his mother Louise Kuhn Johnson placed him in a basket and travelled with him and his older brother Clayton Henry (Mike) Johnson III by train to Columbia, MO, where his father Clayton Henry Johnson, Jr. soon joined them to begin work as a professor of Geology at the University of Missouri.

George graduated from Hickman High School in 1963, where he sat in front of Marcia Diane Sublett in trigonometry class. After serving in the Army in Germany from 1966 to 1968, he married Marcia in 1970.

He graduated with a degree in English from the University of Missouri, and completed law school at Mizzou in 1973. He and Marcia moved to Springfield in 1974 and George worked as an attorney at the Missouri Highway Commission. He became the attorney for Show-Me Power in the late 1970’s, and in 1990 joined the firm of Andrereck, Evans, Milne, Peace, and Johnson, where he worked for the rest of his career. George and Marcia were married for 55 years, and had two sons, Benjamin George Johnson, of Kansas City, and Nicholas Dean Johnson, of Indianapolis.

George was an avid outdoorsman, who loved deer hunting with his brother and his friends, canoeing on family float trips, and fishing with his best friend Mike Jones. He also loved “camping” and fishing with the Bennett Spring Barrister’s Club. He pitched slow-pitch softball so effectively that one of his meatballs was lined directly into his right eye, ending his illustrious athletic career. He also loved to travel with his family and friends, especially to Europe and National Parks in the United States.

He volunteered extensively with the Boy Scouts, and served as Scoutmaster of Springfield Troop 7 from 1989 to 1992. He was proud to see both his sons become Eagle Scouts. He was involved in his sons’ sporting attempts, and coached several of the worst teams in YMCA history. He was also an avid band dad for the Parkview High School Marching Band in support of Nick. He drove a truck. He unloaded gear. He loaded gear. He drove a truck back. He was also a generous donor to the Parkview Debate Team, in support of Ben.

He was a long-time parishioner of St. Agnes Cathedral, where he served on the Parish Council for several years, and was a frequent lector and Eucharistic Minister during Sunday mass. He called Bingo at the Knights of Columbus Hall, and participated enthusiastically in activities for the Parkinson’s Group of the Ozarks.

He loved the Missouri Tigers, who always disappointed him, and the St. Louis Cardinals, who sometimes didn’t. Fans seated rows and even sections away from him were well aware of his passion.

He is survived by his wife Marcia; his sons Ben (Ruth Sanders) and Nick (Chloe Boelter); his nieces Emily LaValle (Matthew), Virginia Shetler (Joseph), and Letitia Sangster (Robert); his grand-nephews and nieces Clayton Sangster, Eleanor LaValle, Susanne Sangster, and Everett Sangster. He was preceded in death by his brother Mike and his sister-in-law Eleanor Johnson. The family would like to give particular thanks to Josh and Lindsay Douglas for their love, friendship, and neighborly support over the decades, but especially in the last year.

Visitation will be held Sunday, May 17, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be Monday, May 18, 2026, at 10:00 AM in St. Agnes Cathedral.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to the Parkinson’s Group of the Ozarks (www.parkinsonsgroup.org/).