Cary, NC - Christopher Stephen Johnson, 60, passed away Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Cary, North Carolina. He was born on March 28, 1966, at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, to Eric Johnson and Linda Perrotto-Johnson. Chris was employed by the firm of Raymond James Inc. as a Senior Vice President, Investments.

Chris graduated from Erie's Cathedral Prep High School, Class of 1984, before enrolling at Mercyhurst University, where he graduated in 1989. He then began a very successful business career, first with the Paine Weber investment firm in Erie in 1989, later transferring to its Raleigh, North Carolina, office. His profession took him to the financial firms of Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, Wells Fargo, and finally to Raymond James Inc., in Cary, North Carolina, where he was presently employed.

In his teenage years, Chris worked at both the Station Restaurant and the Elephant Bar Restaurant in Erie. These formative experiences, along with his Mercyhurst degree in restaurant-hotel management, helped Chris learn the importance of customer service, an attribute he wholeheartedly embraced in serving his business clients. His restaurant and college experiences also furthered his interests in cooking and in building a splendid wine collection.

Chris loved attending special music concerts and was a skilled guitarist himself for many years. He was also known to be a source of encouragement and support to up-and-coming musicians in his area. He was a stellar pickleball, racquetball and squash player, competing in tournaments and even providing volunteer instruction in squash for Duke University students.

Giving back to the community was important to Chris. The charitable organizations he served in his adopted home of North Carolina included the Frankie Lemmon School and Developmental Center, SPCA of Wake County (animal adoption), the North Carolina Symphony and Carolina Ballet, and the Caring Community Foundation, a nonprofit that provides emergency financial assistance to cancer patients.

Chris cherished the life he created as a native Pennsylvanian living in Cary, North Carolina, forming many friendships along the way and building decades-long business relationships with clients. Throughout his life in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina, he was able to form deep personal connections with a great many people of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds. He will be very deeply missed.

Chris is survived by his dear friend and companion, Lauren Vorhees; his daughter, Lily Isabel Johnson of Cary, North Carolina; his father, Eric Johnson (Connie) of Erie; his mother, Linda Kay Perrotto-Johnson of Erie; and his brother, Jeffery Matthew Johnson of Erie, together with uncles and aunts along with numerous cousins.

A Catholic Mass will be held at Saint James Church in Erie, with interment at Mary, Queen of Peace Cemetery. A celebration of life event is envisioned at a future time. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Chris may be made to the Frankie Lemmon Foundation at https://frankielemmonfoundation.org or to the Caring Community Foundation at http://www.caringcommunityfoundation.org.