Dan McVicar Willoughby Johnson — known to everyone simply as Mc — a dentist who built his own 36-foot sailboat and sailed it to Hawaii and the Marshall Islands, died peacefully on October 8, 2026, at the age of 95. The Oregonian reported his death in an obituary published this week.
Born August 15, 1931, in Yakima, Washington, Mc grew up in hard times. During the Great Depression, part of his childhood was spent at an ice plant in Rome, Georgia, and on a farm in Grandview, Washington, experiences that instilled in him the importance of resilience and maximizing what he possessed. His family eventually made Portland, Oregon, their lifelong home.
Stationed in England During the Korean War, Mc Witnessed a Coronation
During the Korean War, Mc was stationed at Royal Air Force base Shepherds Grove in Suffolk, England. There he made lifelong friends and had the opportunity to witness the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He graduated from Grant High School, Lewis and Clark College, and the Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry, paying his way in part through the GI Bill and a string of part-time jobs.
Aloha Dentist Who Cared for Generations of Patients
In Aloha, Oregon, Mc worked as a dentist, treating multiple generations of patients and positively impacting the lives of those he served. He was also an adventurous soul whose curiosity could not be contained by land or shore. One of his greatest adventures began with an extraordinary undertaking: building his own 36-foot sailboat. With that boat he sailed to Mexico, Hawaii, and the Marshall Islands, where he helped children with dental hygiene.
From the Open Ocean to the Sauvie Island Classroom
Those voyages yielded many stories, which he incorporated into science and geography lessons delivered to students over many years at the Sauvie Island school in Portland. A lifelong conservationist, he would appreciate that donations in his memory go to the Turtle Foundation at turtle-foundation.org/donation.
Survived by Partner Barbara Getty, Two Sons, and Ten Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren
Before him in death were his wife of 34 years, Marcia Rose Johnson, and his sisters Martha Ellis and Mary Ford. He is survived by his loving and caring partner of 31 years, Barbara Getty; his two sons, Carl Johnson (Elizabeth) of Portland and Chris Johnson (Julie) of Bend; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service honoring Mc’s life will be planned for Spring 2027. While he will be greatly missed, his legacy endures through the loved ones he left behind, the children he assisted, the patients he treated, the lifelong friends he gained, and the countless stories that will keep being told at family gatherings for years to come.
