Dr. Frank E. Johnson (STH ’81, Questrom ’82)
This obituary was originally published by Solimine Funeral Homes – Broadway on Apr. 20, 2022, and can be found here.
Frank Eugene Johnson IV was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 6, 1950. He attended mostly rural schools throughout his childhood but still managed to graduate third in his class of 400 at Southeast High School. After being awarded multiple scholarships he graduated with honors from Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in Psychology. He then completed all coursework at Catholic University in Washington, DC, but was too emotionally distraught by the untimely death of his father to complete his graduate thesis in Psychology.
He joined the Navy and qualified and was accepted as an intelligence officer for a squadron, but his poor eyesight prevented him from becoming a pilot. After training in Denver, CO he and Laurena spent the next four years in Key West, Florida for his deployment. During this time he traveled with his squadron on several Pacific tours from Japan to Kenya.
After this time he felt the Lord calling him to be a minister so he and Laurena moved to Boston to attend Boston University. While there he simultaneously earned both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Business in Public Management. In 1982 he and Laurena packed up their two daughters and moved to Costa Rica to attend El Instituto de La Lengua Española. After a year of studying Spanish they moved to Guatemala City where Frank served as Treasurer for the Southern Baptist Mission. He was also able to answer God’s call to start and nurture several churches as well as lead many volunteer groups in providing support for the Guatemalan Indigenous people.
In 1992 Frank and Laurena moved with their three children to New York City for a year-long furlough. While there they worked to support small churches in NYC. They greatly enjoyed their time exploring the city and formed some very fond memories.
By this time Frank had completed his Doctorate in Ministry and was asked to help direct mission work in Canada. Frank, Laurena, Sally and Gene moved to Calgary and after two years moved to Montreal for a year.
When Frank was asked to return to Guatemala to serve as Associate Area Director of Missions for Central America and the Caribbean he eagerly accepted as the whole family was eager to return to their beloved Guatemala. After three years Frank and Laurena returned to Oklahoma and decided to resign as missionaries in order to spend more time with their ailing mothers.
During this time Frank became certified in Spanish to English translation and started his own very successful translation and interpretation company, Multilingual Services LLC. He found very fulfilling work in translation and interpreting for social workers, schools, courts, the medical field, government offices and the USDA.
Because all of this somehow did not keep him busy enough, he became an adjunct professor of Spanish at Southern Nazarene University where he taught for a decade. He eventually sold his business in 2015 so that he could spend more time teaching and working as a spin class instructor for the YMCA. He became a member of the Oklahoma Bicycle Association and even became its president for a time.
In 2016 Frank and Laurena moved to Lynn, MA in order to be closer to their grown daughters and grandchildren. In addition to maintaining a busy schedule of training for and running marathons, he worked as a popular spin class instructor for the YMCA and certified personal trainer, as well as working with the Livestrong Program. One of his greatest sources of pride and satisfaction was qualifying for the New York Marathon as well as the Boston Marathon. He ran the NY Marathon in November 2021 but soon after became ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2022.
After a short and fiercely fought battle with the disease, surrounded by family, Frank passed into the arms of Jesus on Good Friday, April 15, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Laurena, daughters Joy and Sally and son Frank Eugene V (Gene), as well as six grandchildren.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a Memorial Service on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 11:00AM in the First Lutheran Church, 280 Broadway, Lynn, MA.