Samuel Johns
1990-2024

Samuel Gregory Johns, a beloved son, brother, uncle and friend passed away on 19 April in Bletchingley, Surrey. Born in Redhill, Samuel’s life was a testament to living life to the full: ‘“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”’ (John 10:10)

Samuel was a man of extraordinary talents and passions. A self-described jack of all trades, he was certainly also a master of many. His brilliant mind enabled him to achieve the top first in his year in Geography at Oxford, while simultaneously excelling across several different fields. After gaining his Master’s in Geography at the University of British Columbia, he worked for Proctor and  Gamble, vowing that he would never sell his soul to a corporate and pointing out to the European director that the company was not living up to its ethical code! He then pursued a varied and unique career path.

Samuel’s passion for education led him to work as a private tutor with Bespoke Tuition. His fine intellect, gracious personality and neuro-flexibility helped him bring some of the toughest dysfunctional children back into an educational context. He spent 2023 tutoring in Malta, where he discovered free diving, and was due to tutor in Mexico later this year. In 2017, he set up PSD Plastics, a subsidiary to the Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) Nepal. Through recycling and upcycling of mountain PET plastic waste, he established an economic model for regeneration in the Langtang Valley, Kathmandu. This work continues, with the model to be rolled out in six other national parks. Samuel spent four months of the Covid lockdown in Nepal, refining his language fluency.

In 2018 he signed up with International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) Graduate Impact, helping to develop their strategy, writing teaching material and leading discussion groups for young professionals in Eastern Europe. A core motivator in Samuel’s life was his Christian faith, which gave him a deep desire, in a digital world, to understand and pursue human flourishing in the image of God. He joined TechHuman and worked as a consultant advising on the ethics of AI in the commercial world. In parallel, he engaged with local church life, leading youth groups, participating in worship bands and preaching. In 2022, he started a PhD with the Brussels School of Governance on human personhood in the age of automation: a study of modern identity formation in the Linkster Generation (Gen Z). This involved surveys and interviews with hundreds of young people on their interactions with technology.

Samuel’s love for the great outdoors was apparent to all. He was an avid cyclist, skier, snowboarder and mountain trekker. He was a true global citizen with homes away from home, including France and Nepal. His love of nature and mountaineering was born in the UK and France but grew into maturity under the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas and Whistler.

In both his professional and personal life, Samuel inspired the people he met. Across his different walks of life he has left a lasting impact the world over. He is survived by his parents, Tim and Evelyne, his sister Marina and her husband Luke. He will be deeply missed by his niece and nephew, Elsa and Raphael. Samuel’s memory will live on through his family, friends and colleagues whose lives have been enriched by his unwavering love, generosity, kindness, support and joyful energy, so freely given.