Ernest “Ernie” Johnson died March 6 after a long illness.
Before stepping foot in De Anza College, Johnson was an engineer working for companies such as Ohio Bell Telephone, Proctor and Gamble and Exxon.
Johnson earned his MBA from Harvard University and co-founded a business software start-up in San Jose.
He went back to college and earned his credentials for teaching web development and Internet technologies. He taught at Silver Creek High School in San Jose.
In 2000, Letha Jeanpierre, dean of Business and Computer Information Systems at the time, hired Johnson into the Computer Applications and Office Systems Department.
JeanPierre, current vice president of finance and educational resources, described Johnson as an “entrepreneurial spirit,” whose “experiences in business and technology made him a perfect addition to the department.”
In his career at De Anza, Johnson was chair of the CAOS department and created many software applications classes and certificates.
“He will be remembered as a great teacher, very enthusiastic about his subject,” said JeanPierre. “Always willing to put in the extra effort to make
his courses reflect what is happening in the real world.”