johnson met his wife, imogene powers johnson, at cornell university in 1946. they wed in 1954 and had been married fifty years at the time of his death. johnson and his wife had four children, samuel curtis "curt" johnson iii, helen johnson-leipold, herbert fisk "fisk" johnson iii and winifred "winnie" (johnson) marquart, as well as twelve grandchildren and three step-grandchildren at the time of his death.