Elder Johnson was excited to be serving as missionary in the Oakland/San Francisco Mission. We first met him and Sister Johnson at the Senior FHE in May. They were new to the mission as we were and we shared experiences. We met up again at the employment center in June and given the grand tour. In August we were able to serve together at the Alameda County Community food bank. Enjoyed his company and sense of humor.
Elder Johnson was truly one of a kind. He had his own unique way of doing things and his heart was always in the right place. He cared deeply about the people he served and brought his own special spirit to his missionary service. I feel grateful to have known him and to have been able to serve alongside him. He will be missed, but the love and goodness he shared will not be forgotten.
Dad always had a sense of humor. When his back started to hurt him too much to stand up straight, he started to use an old cane we found somewhere. Sometimes he would turn it around and hold it by the crook, pointing the handle at me and making "Peeep! Peeeeeep!" sounds, like it was a baby chick. We named the cane Peep, and whenever he was looking for it, he'd say "Where's Peep?" Somehow it made the reality of the situation seem less scary and more silly.
He also loved to paint things bright colors, even if it had no business being painted. Yellow cinder blocks, turquoise and pink tires, Red blue and yellow propane tanks. You name it, he painted it loud and unapologetic colors and loved every minute of it. He loved whimsy, although I don't think he ever called it that.
He loved to name things. He had a collection of stuffed animals near his bed and every single one of them had a name - Pachyderm the elephant, Kat the cat, Frawg the Frog, Prison bear, Puff n bumps (my old) baby doll. Even our farm animals weren't safe from his naming. The neighbor girl might have called the black and white cows Salt and Pepper, but to Dad they were called Pork Chop and Stupid.
At another time we had a black beef cow that we hadn't settled on a name for. One day we were getting ready to go to the church for an activity, rushing to run out the door. Dad said we needed to feed "sweetheart" before we left. Mama thought he meant Me, and said that I had already eaten. Dad replied no, the cow, Sweetheart. That brought an exasperated laugh for sure, but she was known as Sweetheart for the rest of her days.
Dad always loved quotes and inspirational things. The back of his door was always a montage of little sayings he had printed out - I remember one from shakespeare that he quoted often: "They do not love who do not show their love."
As I am cleaning up some of dads things, I sat down at his computer. Being the snoop that I am, I clicked through his open tabs. Amazon shopping (New England clam chowder, minced clams, and white clam sauce. The regular amount of clams was never enough for him.) , his Email, the LDS church website, and a PDF he had printed recently. The Optimists Creed by Christian D Larson:
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your
optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to
expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
Over the last several months of his life, he was often very sick. Especially near the end. Apparently that didn't stop him from still trying to be a better man, More optimistic and kind.
