Moorestown Mourns Loss of Police Director Harry Johnson

Moorestown is mourning the loss of its longtime Police Director Harry Johnson, who passed away on Friday, April 24, at the age of 62.

“He had such a timeline to him,” his wife, Deborah, said. “He stayed out of the spotlight, but he was very much a part of it in his own way. He will be missed by so many.”

He is survived by his wife Deborah and two children: 17-year-old Erica Johnson and 13-year-old Harry Johnson Jr..

Deborah Johnson described Harry Johnson as a proud family man who loved nothing more than to watch his children play sports.

“He took his job so seriously and he took such pride in what he did, representing and serving Moorestown,” Deborah Johnson said. “He had such a soft side for his family.”

He loved fishing and he loved traveling, but he also enjoyed quiet nights at home watching movies with his family.

“He was my rock, my sounding board. He kept me grounded,” Deborah Johnson said.

That soft side, a dry sense of humor and the pride he took in everything he did helped make him one of the most well-respected officers in Moorestown and throughout Burlington County.

“We would’ve been married 19 years in November, and I still had to tell my mother not to take most of what he was saying seriously,” Deborah Johnson said.

“He always looked serious,” Lt. Lee Lieber said. “You could never tell if he was joking or not. During our recent round of promotional interviews, be brought a guy in and asked him a very complex math question about accident reconstruction. I didn’t even know what he was talking about. I was like, ‘What is he doing?’”

After the candidate had a moment or two to sweat and think, Johnson began to laugh.

“He had a very dry sense of humor,” Lieber said. “It was his way to break the ice.”

Harry Johnson was innovative when it came to fighting crime.

“Harry Johnson was a great part of the community,” Moorestown Councilwoman Stacey Jordan said. “He brought Moorestown into the the tech era for the police department. My condolences go out to his family.”

“He was one of the first to get laptop computers for the police department,” Lieber said. “He was always getting us different software to increase our crime fighting capabilities. He was always looking at new things. He wanted to keep ahead of things.”

Lieber said support has been pouring in from surrounding police departments. Johnson was born in Mt. Laurel. He served in the Marines, and was a police officer in Edgewater Park.

He served with the Moorestown Police Department for 31 years, and became Police Director in August of 1999.

He had friends in police departments throughout the county.

“Harry will be missed by all of us in the Burlington County law enforcement community,” Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said. “He was a credit to his department and his town. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his family during this difficult time.”

“He was a great guy who loved his job and loved his family,” Maple Shade Police Chief Gary Gubbei told the Burlington County Times.

“He was a great guy who loved his job and loved his family,” Maple Shade Police Chief Gary Gubbei told the Burlington County Times.

These sentiments were echoed during Monday night’s council meeting.

“It’s a great loss for Moorestown,” Mayor Victoria Napolitano said. “Harry will be greatly missed.”

“I’d like to share my condolences not just for Harry’s family, but for the police department,” Deputy Mayor Phil Garwood said. “The police department lost one of their own. Harry will be missed.”

Township Manager Scott Carew said the township will find an appropriate way to recognize Johnson’s service to the community at a later date.

“I was really shocked and devastated,” Carew said. It’s a tremendous loss. He was a great employee and even more important, a great guy.”

Viewings are scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., as well as Friday from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Bradley Funeral Home, Evesham Road and Route 73 in Marlton.

The funeral service is set for Friday, 11:30 a.m. at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on Route 70 in Marlton.

Lieber is the Acting Director of the police force. Carew is developing a process to appoint a permanent director. Once the process is reviewed by the Township’s legal counsel and Township Council is briefed, the process to appoint a new director will begin.

To view Harry Johnson’s full obituary, click here.

The attached image was posted on obitsforlife.com.