In memoriam: Bob Johnson, Omega Optical founder

On January 5th, Omega Optical (Brattleboro, VT) announced the passing of its founder Bob Johnson on December 29, 2025.

Bob founded Omega Optical from a hobby shop on his family homestead, and through innovation and determination, made it the lasting company it is today. The company was “officially” founded in 1969 in West Brattleboro and still has a stronghold in the Green Mountain state on the Delta Campus that Bob created. Bob’s passion for discovery led Omega to be at the forefront of innovation in optical technologies, from pioneering filters for fluorescence and flow cytometry, to producing filters for the Hubble Telescope.

Throughout his life, Bob was guided by an enduring optimism and a belief in the inherent goodness of people. He was deeply committed to environmental stewardship, energy awareness, historical building preservation, and his beloved Soay sheep—and he continued thinking creatively about these issues even in his final days.

“Bob will be sorely missed by the entire Omega team as well as the broader precision optics industry. He was a brilliant scientist and an unconventional, serial entrepreneur who believed that businesses should be responsible members of society and that success should improve the lives of employees, families, communities, and the environment. An optics pioneer, he created a remarkable and enduring legacy—one that the entire Omega Optical team strives to build upon. On behalf of the Omega Optical leadership team and our Artemis owners, I extend our deepest condolences to Bob’s family, friends, and to all who were touched by his remarkable life,” says David Cooper, Omega Optical CEO.

View his obituary here: www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/brattleboro/name/robert-johnson-obituary?id=60416610.