July 13 1946 July 27 2019
Wilbert’s Obituary Wilbert Van Meter Johnson (Van) peacefully passed away on 27 July 2019. He was born at UVA on 13 July, 1946, to the late Eugene Johnson II, and Anne Dally Johnson of Waynesboro, where they lived. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Eugene Johnson III, and his sister Lucile The family attended the First Presbyterian Church, which was central to their lives, as was music. Van, his brother, Gene and his sister Cile played regularly as a quartet, with their Father at home; and Van volunteered early on to engineer fine sound recordings of the Choir and services at Church, and often recorded elsewhere within the community Van graduated from Fishburne Military School in 1965, and worked for a time at Virginia Metalcrafters, where he nurtured an interest in the design and fabrication of metal, as an artistic expression; later taking up painting and sculpting, as well as pursuing his preoccupation for a more creative sound design, for both recording (a modification of the “ORTF configuration of microphones,” for a more stereophonic effect for the listehat is exceptionally ‘realistic’) and for playback, culminating in his engineering of a nationally-recognized album in 1993, “Midnight at Old Cabell Hall,” featuring the late Freyda Epstein, of Trapezoid fame, with Bob Vasile and Ralph Gordon, using the “Aachen Head” microphone, developed by the audiophile department at Mercedes Benz, in Germany, featured on the cover of Audiophile magazine. Van recorded a preponderance of the performances at the Prism Coffeehouse beginning in 1973 as a volunteer, as well as recording numberless events at Old Cabell Hall, the Dome Room of the Rotunda, and various other venues at the University and at various Churches throughout the community, also as a volunteer. Van spent his entire career as an audio consultant, having a unique gift for his understanding of the nature of the listening habits of those most interested in having an experience remotely, that will very closely simulate the experience “in the room,” where the sound recording took place. His particular expertise involved his being alert to new developments in equipment and in matching an individual’s tastes to their individual ‘budget,’ for the least compromise in audio or home theater, caring so much that this experience might be available to anyone who understood its value, even for those on a modest budget. Having had the benefit of spending a good deal of time at the local radio station, in his teen years, he was always gracious in spending time with those who cared to learn more about their audio systems, and to share his very gentlemanly ways with everyone he encountered in a meaningful way. He was an extraordinarily active fellow and always glad to lend a hand in any way, and conveyed a life-affirming attitude in all things. A tribute to Van will air on Friday, August 30th from noon until 2:00 pm on 91.1 WTJU-FM, broadcasting worldwide on WTJU.net. A memorial service will be scheduled during the Christmas season, once family members living abroad can gather round to commemorate, as one. Van’s niece, Dr. Gwynneth Livesay will officiate. Sincere thanks to the nurses and staff at Hospice of the Piedmont For additional information, or to add your name to the list of those to be kept apprised of the Memorial service, please leave a message at: gingermccarthy.com Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Wilbert Van Meter Johnson July 13 1946 July 27 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Waynesboro, state: Virginia