George Johnson, one of Elk Grove's pioneers and the mayor's father, dies

One of Elk Grove Village's pioneers - and the father of longtime Mayor Craig Johnson - is being remembered as a dedicated volunteer, passionate business owner and strong family man.

George B. Johnson, a Navy veteran of the Korean War, moved with his first wife, Barbara, and young family to the cornfields of Elk Grove in January 1958, becoming one of the town's early residents.

He died Sunday at 91, after a short stay in hospice care at Friendship Village in Schaumburg.

The Johnsons were recognized by the Centex Corp., the developer of the planned community that became Elk Grove Village, as the 300th family to move to town.

Johnson initially operated his business, Johnson Insurance Agency, from his one-car garage on Briarwood Lane, eventually upgrading to a two-car garage on Northampton Circle two decades later.

Today, with Craig Johnson and his brother-in-law Bill Beaupre at the helm, the insurance agency stands at 500 E. Higgins Road as the oldest continuously operating business in the village.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, George Johnson volunteered as the village's insurance commissioner, regularly reporting to the scenes of fires to help safeguard fire department equipment.

"My dad was extremely generous with his time and talents," Craig Johnson recalled Tuesday in an announcement of his father's death.

"His legacy of public service is what sparked my interest in running for a position in local government, and I am grateful for his leadership in my life."

The elder Johnson served on the local Industrial/Commercial Revitalization Commission during the 1990s and into the 2010s, helping to oversee some $100 million in upgrades to the village's massive business park.

Among his civic contributions, Johnson was a founding member of the Elk Grove Jaycees, serving as its first treasurer, and he and his wife were among the founding members of one of the earliest churches in the community, the Church of the Good Shepherd.

He later served as Cub Master for the Rupley School Cub Scouts and was an active member of the Industrial Park Lions Club.

Johnson is survived by his wife of 31 years, Karen; three children; three stepchildren and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be limited to a small group of family in a private setting due to COVID-19 restrictions.