DAVID’S OBITUARY
David L. Johnson, 78, of Somerville, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on October 20, 2023 from Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
He was born in Chicago, IL to the late Marvin and Jane Johnson. Dave was a devoted husband, father and friend, who had a great sense of humor, and was known for his kindness and generosity.
Dave earned a BS degree in Physics in 1967 from the University of Notre Dame. He furthered his education at the University of Chicago, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics in 1974. Dave’s career spanned various institutions, including the Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, CA, Iowa State University, Northeastern University, and the Schlumberger-Doll research center in Ridgefield, CT, and Cambridge, MA. He was a world-renowned expert in the field of acoustic propagation in fluid-saturated porous media. Dave held 18 U.S. patents and authored nearly 200 scientific papers. One of his notable works has been cited by 2711 other publications. He had the honor of being elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Dave had a wide range of hobbies and interests. He was a voracious reader of history and politics, and loved solving crossword puzzles. He was passionate about outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and skiing. He met his wife, Kathy, while trail running, and they were fortunate to have traveled extensively all over the world. He cherished spending time with his family and friends, making delicious desserts, and watching sports, especially Notre Dame football.
Dave is survived by his loving wife W. Kathy Martin, his sons Kelsey and Sean (Kelli Oswalt), his brother Mark (Lisa), his brother-in-law Ken Davis, his nephew and multiple nieces, grand-nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by his beloved sister Gail Davis.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 27th at 11am in Bigelow Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Doctors Without Borders in Dave’s memory.
His family is grateful to the caring, compassionate and dedicated oncology team at Massachusetts General Hospital.