Max M. Johnson

Max Mendel Johnson, 81, of Camden, South Carolina, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 11, 2026. Born January 29, 1945, in Kershaw, County, Max was a man of deep faith, quiet strength, and uncommon devotion — salt of the earth in every sense of the word.

Max spent his entire working life in the Mount Pisgah community of northern Kershaw County before he and Diane made their home in Camden in 2007, where he lived out the final nineteen years of his life. He gave 38 years of faithful service to DuPont in Camden, nearly all of it as an industrial mechanic, retiring at the age of 56. He was not a man who sought recognition. He simply showed up, worked hard, and did what needed to be done — in the plant, in the church, and at home.

His faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of everything. For decades Max served the Lord through two church homes — first at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, and for the last twenty years at Malvern Hill Baptist Church in Camden. He took seriously the call to serve. He taught Sunday school with diligence and deep study, poured into young people as a youth leader, served faithfully as a deacon, and answered every call the church presented to him without hesitation. He was not a man who sat on the sidelines of the church he loved.

The great love of his life was his wife, Diane E. Johnson. Together they shared a deep love of camping — not for the scenery alone, but for the communities they found and the people they met along the way, at beaches, mountains, and state parks across the region. When illness came for Diane in the years before his retirement and beyond, Max became her devoted, full-time caregiver without hesitation or complaint. He loved her the way Ephesians 5 describes — as Christ loved the church — sacrificially, tenderly, and completely. He was her protector, her provider, and her constant — until the very end. Diane preceded him in death in September 2020.

To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was Papa — and to them, he was nothing short of a rock star. Clemson football and all things Clemson ran deep in Max Johnson, a love he poured into his family so thoroughly that five of his grandchildren earned degrees from Clemson — and every one of them cheers on the Tigers on fall Saturdays.

Max was preceded in death by his parents, Mendel Patterson Johnson and Elizabeth Catoe Johnson; his wife, Diane E. Johnson; his brother, Gerald A. Johnson and his sister, Margie J. Ogburn.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Beverly J. Archer and her husband Duane, Max A. “Andy” Johnson and his wife Holly, and Gerald D. Johnson and his wife Betsy; his grandchildren, Drew Archer, Devin Archer, Sarah Avery Archer, Holland Johnson, Meredith Johnson, Elizabeth Young and her husband Jacob, and Matthew Johnson; and his great-grandchildren, Ellie Young and Luke Young. He is also survived by his sister, Linda J. Witherspoon.

A time of receiving friends and family will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall at Malvern Hill Baptist Church, Camden, South Carolina. A funeral service will follow immediately at 2:00 PM at the church. Revs. Craig Thompson and Terry Corder will officiate. Burial will be at the cemetery of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Jefferson, South Carolina. Baker Funeral Home of Kershaw, South Carolina is entrusted with the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Malvern Hill Baptist Church Building Fund, 1514 Malvern Hill Drive, Camden, South Carolina 29020 or to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, 2140 McBee Highway, Jefferson, South Carolina 29718, in memory of Max Mendel Johnson.