Robert 'Bob' James Johnson Jr., 74, a man of many talents and titles including veteran, Christian and dedicated family man, died peacefully at home in Fort Collins, Colo., on November 13 after a nearly three-year fight with cancer.
Bob, who also answered to BJ, was born in the upper peninsula of Michigan, but grew up in the Grand Rapids area, graduating from Ionia High School in 1961. A short time later, he began a four-year stint in the Air Force, proudly serving as a communications specialist in Okinawa, Japan and Frankfurt, Germany. He married Joan Van Houten in Grand Rapids in 1967. They began their married life in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, where their children Susan and Scott were born, and subsequently moved to Fort Collins in 1982.
Bob worked primarily as a salesman and manager for D&W Reprographics, K&E Blueprint, Teledyne Post, and Ulrich Blueprint. An avid fisherman and an accomplished bowler (he rolled numerous perfect 300 games and multiple 800 series), he also loved hunting, golfing and playing cribbage in his free time. Although he was never formally trained, he had a knack for fixing just about anything. He took pleasu...[more]
in exploring Colorado's mountains and viewing wildlife from its scenic roadways. Bob was a longtime member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, and served in several capacities. He was a lifelong Republican and considered himself a moderate conservative who enjoyed political debates with his Democrat-leaning friends and family members.
Singing was a big part of Bob's life. As an adult, it was not uncommon for Bob to belt out a few lines of pop songs of his youth when the mood struck him, which was often. In his later years, Bob loved to sing in church. He was known for frequently expressing himself in funny phrases such as "As they say in old Russia, 'Goodnight Irene.' " and "Cock-a-roach!" or sharing obscure trivia. He will be remembered for his positive demeanor, ability to add levity to any situation, strong work ethic, generous nature, outgoing personality, sense of integrity, and his devout faith.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Winifred, and siblings Marilyn Vinkemulder, Julie Powers and Ralph Johnson. He is survived by Joan, his wife of 50 years, their children Susan and Scott, granddaughters Emily and Madison, son-in-law Jeff Thain, numerous nieces and nephews, and the Orton family of Ryan, Missy and Mason .
A memorial service followed by a celebration of Bob's life will be held on Saturday, November 18 at 3 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1709 W. Elizabeth St., Fort Collins.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pathways Hospice Care, 305 Carpenter Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80525.
To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.kibbeyfishburn.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=4441704&fh_id=13239