| Graduation Year | Class of 1965 |
| Date of Passing | Sep 21, 2020 |
| About | Richard Alan Johnson,73, passes away peacefully on September 21, 2020 after a courageous two year with cancer. Richard Alan Johnson was born in Grand Island on January 25, 1947 to James and. Lucille Johnson, the eldest of Four children. Dick graduated in 1965 from Grand Island Senior High School. He was a avid athlete, participating in football, track and baseball throughout his school years. He attended Midland Lutheran College on an athletic scholarship and played both football and baseball graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a teaching endorsement in Business Education. From 1971-1977 Dick taught business education classes in both Dix, where he coached football, baseball and track at One Bluff, Wy. Dick then attended the University of Wyoming to pursue a Master of Science in Business Computer Education (1983) While au UW he met and married his Beverly. Together they moved to Riverton, Wyoming where he started a computer program for the Vocational Career Center at Riverton High school. He also taught courses for the local community college and earned another Master of Science in computer education at Leslie college. In 1988 Dick and Beverly moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he served as the head of the Computer and Electronics Departments. At Denver Technical College before joining Colorado Springs School District 11 as the Directorof Information Services, a position he held until his retirement in 2006. Dick loved lighthouses, visiting all American lighthouses on the West and Southern coasts, the Great Lakes and those on the eastern shore as far north as Massachusetts.He also visited many of those located on Ireland’s Atlantic Way and all the lighthouses in Iceland which he documented in several articles for Lighthouse Magazine. In addition to his love for lighthouses, Dick enjoyed road trips, carpentry, classical and contemporary music and was a passionate advocate for animals. He loved unconditionally and was loved unconditionally by his pets throughout his life. dick’s sense of humor, creativity and commitment to excellence will be missed by all that knew him He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Beverly Johnson; children, Shawn (Leah) Johnson; Russell ( Sian) Ashenden; Brandy (Dan) Bertram; grandchildren, Natalya and Shawn Johnson; Robyn Ashenden, siblings Dana Keck, Debi Johnson, Douglas Johnson and many loved nieces and nephews. Gifts in memory can be made to Big Dogs Hugh Paws ( bigdogshughpaws.com or the Prostate Cancer Foundation pcg.org. |
