George Daniel Johnson

George Daniel Johnson was born over 80 years ago in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was the only child of George Henry Johnson (Halifax) and Lilly Pearl Groves (Petites, Nfld). George Daniel was raised as a child in a cowboy culture. He spent his childhood frequenting the Vogue and Casino Theatres on Gottigen Street. There he fell in love with singing cowboys - his favourites were Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. In his teens a close friend taught him to play the guitar and thus one of George's greatest loves - playing music and performing blossomed. Throughout his life he played and sang in churches, nursing homes, community centres, clubs and in singing contests. He performed both as a solo artist and in groups. George always preferred using his nickname "Val" when he performed; and in the 1980s and 1990's he became an Elvis Presley impersonator, doing things like travelling to Collingwood, Ontario for the annual Elvis convention. George (Val) also wrote many original songs from the 1960s to the 1990's and for a time he was a member of SOCAN. He dabbled in record making and made several 45 rpms. He received at least one or two royalty cheques for having his songs played on the radio - and that was a great source of pride for him. Another great love of George's was automobiles. According to his mother (Lilly), George's first spoken word was "car". George built model cars; collected die-cast cars; owned about 300 real cars during his lifetime; and even customized some; often driving them in parades and civic events such as: the Halifax & Dartmouth City Natal Day Parades, the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, and Bedford Days Parade. George also entered many car shows and won quite a few awards for his efforts. The culmination of his car and singing hobbies came in the form of an Elvis Presley tribute vehicle that he customized and drove from Nova Scotia to Graceland (Memphis, Tennessee) around 1987-88. George had several jobs during his lifetime. He worked briefly for Hi-Cap Pop Company (Maynard Street, Halifax); for Canadian Linen (Halifax); and he was also an electric trolley car driver for the City of Halifax. But George's true calling was as a professional greenhouse gardener. He worked for the City of Halifax Public Gardens for 30 years. The greenhouses on Summer Street were his old stomping grounds. George certainly had a 'green thumb' - he could grow almost anything and without too much effort at that. People would often be amazed by his talent and comment on their envy for it and his gardening job. George was blessed with a long and full life. Sadly after a lengthy illness, he passed away early on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 at Melville Lodge, Herring Cove. He will be always loved and missed by his faithful wife Marilyn (they were married over 60 years) and by his two sons: Rick and Derrick. As Christians, our family look forward to the great hope: (1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18) "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others that have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep (dead). For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." and, (1 Corinthians 15:50 to 58) "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." AMEN.

George Daniel Johnson

February 4, 2023