Sunday, November 15, 2026
Pete Johansen has traveled the world, served for three decades in the U.S. Naval Reserve and helped evacuate thousands of people from Lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. Through it all, West Hempstead has remained his home.
The West Hempstead Civic Association named Johansen its Person of the Year at its annual meeting Nov. 5, recognizing his military service, his professional accomplishments and his longstanding commitment to the community where he grew up and raised his family.
“Pete Johansen is a true son of West Hempstead, a designation he wears with pride,” association President Maureen Mahoney said. “We are proud to call Pete Johansen the West Hempstead Civic Association Person of the Year, as well as our friend.”
One of the defining moments of Johansen’s career came during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when he was senior director of operations for New York Waterway. As people fled Manhattan, Johansen helped coordinate a maritime evacuation that transported thousands of them to safety.
His involvement in the operation was part of a maritime career that spanned 47 years, taking him to ports around the world before his retirement earlier this year.
Born in 1957 at Mercy Hospital, Johansen grew up on Adams Avenue, in West Hempstead, and attended Chestnut Street School before graduating from West Hempstead High School in 1975. He took part in student government, sports and clubs, and scouting became an important part of his life as well. A member of Troop 120, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1974.
After high school, Johansen attended SUNY Maritime College, graduating in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in marine transportation, a U.S. Coast Guard license to serve aboard merchant vessels and a commission as an ensign in the Naval Reserve. He spent roughly four years aboard oil and chemical tankers and container ships before moving into shore-based positions in the maritime industry.
Johansen served in the Naval Reserve for 30 years, and eventually became a captain. He was activated twice, serving in Turkey and several European ports during his first deployment and leading logistics operations in Kuwait during his second.
Throughout his career, he maintained close ties to West Hempstead. In 1980 he married his wife Denise, a longtime resident whom he had known since childhood. The couple bought a home on Spruce Street the following year, and raised four children, all of whom attended West Hempstead public schools and took part in local sports, scouting and community activities. Both of Johansen’s sons also became Eagle Scouts.
He remained active in scouting as a parent, serving as scoutmaster for Troop 222 at St. Thomas Chapel. He organized monthly overnight trips and summer camp experiences for local scouts.
Johansen’s community involvement continued through Cathedral Post 1087 of the American Legion, which he joined in 2003 after his first military activation. After serving as adjutant, he was elected post commander in 2018, a position he still hold. During his leadership, the post faced financial and membership challenges, particularly during the pandemic. Johansen helped restore its finances, recruit members and expand community programming.
The post now serves as a meeting place for local organizations, including the civic association, the West Hempstead Scholarship Fund and the Lions Club. It also hosts Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances and is the charter organization for local scouting groups.
“Throughout my life, I’ve had the good fortune to have traveled all over the world, seen and done many things,” Johansen said, “and at the conclusion of each of these experiences, I returned to one place. That place is West Hempstead.”
During the award presentation, community leaders recognized his service to the community and the country, and he expressed his gratitude for the support his family received from the community during his military deployments.
As a retiree, Johansen plans to spend more time with his 10 grandchildren. “I would like to thank all of you — my family, my friends, my West Hempstead neighbors — for your love and support,” he said. “I am ready for my most important job, being Papa to our 10 grandchildren.”
“The work and the service that you have given, not just to the community but to our great nation,” Mahoney said the honoree, “is tremendous.”
