William G. Johnson ’63

Bill, professor of neurology at Rutgers medical school, died Jan. 30, 2020, of complications from a stroke. He lived in Short Hills, N.J., where he spent some of his earliest years.

A graduate of Columbia’s medical school, he focused much of his career on the molecular genetics of human brain disorders, especially autism. Author or co-author of scores of articles, books, and monographs, he was on the team that identified the first gene for Parkinson’s disease.

Bill was valedictorian of the class of 1960 at New Trier High School in Illinois. At Princeton he majored in chemistry, where he graduated in three years and belonged to the flying club, Whig-Clio, Student Christian Association, and Terrace. Bill studied in Sweden during fall semester of senior year via the American Field Service. At college he encountered “a vast cafeteria,” recalling at the time of our 50th reunion: “Our professors were wonderful. My classmates were great. Their friendships really made the experience.”

A world traveler fluent in six languages, Bill enjoyed off-hours pursuits including anthropology, genealogy, and languages from Old Icelandic to Basque to Mayan.

The class shares its sadness with his wife, Sandra; sons Trevor ’00 and Niels; three grandchildren; and brother Stephen.