Mikkel Johnson

   Mikkel Borlaug Johnson died peacefully in his home in Los Alamos, NM on March 7th, 2024, at the age of 81. Mikkel was born on January 2nd, 1943, in Waynesboro, VA and was the first child of Anne and Wallace Johnson. He graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, VA, received his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and his master’s degree and PhD from Carnegie Mellon University. He married Lynne McFadden of Blacksburg, VA in 1966. They had two daughters, Kara and Krista Johnson. Mikkel was predeceased in death by his parents Anne & Wallace and his brother David. 

    Mikkel is survived by his wife Lynne of Los Alamos, NM; his brother Jon of Pittsburgh, PA; his daughter Kara and her husband Piero Soria and their two children Pearl and Leon Soria of Chicago, IL; and his daughter Krista and her two children Sigourney Dorroh and Mikkel Johnson of Memphis, TN. 

    After performing postdoctoral research at Cornell University with Nobel Laureate, Dr. Hans Bethe, Mikkel became a technical staff member at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM. He was a distinguished and highly respected theoretical physicist who brought a remarkable intellect to his profession and published many technical papers. Among his many honors was his election as a Fellow of the American Physical Society, selection for the prestigious Humboldt Research Fellowship, and recognition as a Fellow Associate at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He manifested his leadership as he admirably served a term as coordinator of the Laboratory Fellows. 

     Mikkel was a phenomenal and caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. He was exceptionally humble, compassionate, and patient. He will be remembered for his warmth and generosity. He had the rare ability to enhance any gathering of friends, old and new, with his empathy, sense of humor, and the ever-present twinkle in his eye.    His curiosity about the universe endowed him with broad interests. After retirement, he turned to astronomy as an avocation. He always enjoyed learning about new fields and ideas from his friends and acquaintances. He loved to engage in deep philosophical conversations as he became a dedicated student of perennial philosophy. He was an avid skier and an accomplished squash player. His irrepressible optimism, which he maintained to his last day, was infectious. 

   The family suggests that those who wish to make charitable donations in remembrance of Mikkel’s life contribute to ALLMemphis (https://allmemphis.org/) or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/). 

Please feel free to leave messages of condolence, stories, and photos here for the family to cherish.