Ronald Johnson

Ronald "Ron" Dean Johnson
Passed away December 17th at his home in Vadnais Heights. 

Ron was born March 29, 1938, in St. Paul, the son of Roy C. and Eleanor E. (Lindroth) Johnson. He grew up in Hugo, MN and attended White Bear Lake High School where he played basketball, football and played tuba in the band. 
In 1958, he married his high school sweetheart Frances L. Parker and raised their family in White Bear Lake and Spooner, WI. Ron and Fran would later return to the north woods to build a retirement home from the ground up. He was an active square dancer and took joy in saying he danced at the MN State Fair Grandstand. 
Ron loved his family and all activities with them were the highlight of his life. 
In 1982, he helped organize the first "family camp out". That was the first of 40 years of gathering immediate and extended family every summer. The location has moved around but it always included lots of games of cribbage, chats under the stars, and reconnecting. He believed that the opportunity to get together in a relaxed location, visiting around the campfire, without the pressure of gifts, bad weather, and time to really connect was so important. 
Throughout his life he loved hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, road trips, and sports. He spent many fall seasons at deer camp with family and friends. He shared snowmobiling trips throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan with his wife and sons. He had fond memories of fishing trips with his father-in-law and sons in Canada. He spent many sunny, and a few rainy afternoons canoeing the Namekagon River in northern WI. 
His roadtrips throughout the country typically were planned with a visit to family, and when possible a stop in Nashville. He loved country music, and in recent years found YouTube videos of many of his favorite singers, both living and dead. He was thrilled to have you sit down and watch and listen to "what I found". He always advised anyone to make sure to stop at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, and spoke highly of the artists he heard there. He was planning his winter trip and was even hatching plans for a new vehicle. 
Puzzles and card games kept Ron sharp in his retirement years. He maintained numerous regular cribbage and games of 500 with many. He taught others cribbage and blessed many of his grandchildren, nieces and nephews with his catch phrase "next" as an invitation to join him for a fresh game. He had a lifelong love of card playing and enjoyed many hours of games with friends at the senior center, where he acted as chauffeur to neighbors. Ron always had a sudoko puzzle near by and could reliably complete the NY Times cross-word puzzle with an ink pen. 
Ron is survived by his wife Fran; children, Mary (Jan) Nelson, Eric (Jan), Paul (Terri), Marcia (Lane) Carlson, Dean (Mary); grandchildren, Derek (Christine) Nelson, Julie (Alvaro) Sanz Nelson, Amber Johnson, Jasmine Johnson, David Johnson, Glen (Alex) Strouf-Johnson, Audrey (Ben) Merry, Carolyn Carlson, Wendy Carlson, Hannah Johnson, Haley Johnson, and Parker Johnson and great-grandchildren, Evelyn, Charlotte and Lucas Nelson, Anna and Elliott Johnson, Evelyn and Lena Strouf-Johnson, and Vera Sanz-Nelson. 
Also surviving are brothers, Darrel (Judy), Kerry (Tricia), Greg (Kim), and sister Cheryl (Tom) Mickelson, and numerous nieces and nephews. 
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Brian and Curt; grandson, Peter Carlson and nephew, Adam Mickelson.
Funeral service at 11:00am on Tuesday, December 27th at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake with visitation 1 hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the MS Society or Children's Minnesota.

**Obituary printed in the Pioneer Press**
Ronald "Ron" Dean Johnson
Passed away peacefully on December 17th at the age of 84.
Ron is survived by his wife, Frances "Fran"; children, Mary (Jan) Nelson, Eric (Jan), Paul (Terri), Marcia (Lane) Carlson and Dean (Mary); 12 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren and 4 siblings.
Funeral service at 11:00am on Tuesday, December 27th at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake with visitation 1 hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the MS Society or Children's Minnesota.