September 26, 1940 -- July 7, 2010

A celebration of the life of Thomas G. Johnson was held on July 17, 2010, at the Breck School's Chapel of the Holy Spirit, in Golden Valley, Minnesota.  The event was attended by hundreds of Tom's friends and family.  His home church was not large enough to accommodate the service, which included Holy Communion and much singing of songs picked out by Tom himself.  He arranged his own funeral and invited all his friends to come and enjoy what he proudly stated would be a wonderful celebration of his life.

Tom Johnson died July 7, 2010, of the progressive stages of leukemia.  His disease was discovered on June 15, 2009.  In the year that followed Tom began to write about his daily bout with his disease.  All of it is recorded at his Caring Bridge Website in 224 journal entries on 75 pages of personal testimony from him and those who loved him.  We are told that over 2500 people entered the site and left their well wishes in Tom's Caring Bridge Journal. Obviously, Tom impacted the lives of many.  If you wish to read that Journal, it can be found at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tgjohnson/journal?jid=5773336

Tom was preceded in death by parents Gordon and Aldythe, and brother Ron.  He is survived by wife Wanda Copeland, children Christine (Dominic) D'Amico and Michael (Nina) Johnson, five grandchildren, and ex-wife Margee (Steve) Wheeler.  Tom was married to Margaret Smith for 18 years, and Margee is the mother of Tom's two children. 

After graduation from St. Louis Park High School Tom enrolled at the University of Minnesota, including ROTC, and received a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Tom served his active duty in the US Air Force at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, as a Bioenvironmental Engineer.  He also worked as a Facililty Engineer for Donaldson Company and in Manufacturing Management for TESCOM company.  

His life changed dramatically, in interesting ways.  He owned and operated the Jordan Sawmill.  He was a nursing home administrator, and most recently worked as manager of Becketwood Cooperative (in south Mpls.) a large assisted living complex.  He worked at Becketwood until his leukemia prevented his daily participation and he moved to hospice care.  But through his management of Becketwood Tom made many friends.  Everyone who had a loved one at Becketwood knew Tom, and he knew them.  Tom cared deeply for everyone who stayed there plus their visiting relatives.  When it was time for those who knew Tom to pay him respect at his passing, the Chapel was full.  Over 500 celebrants, from babes in arms to many in wheel chairs, filled the Chapel.  When he was diagnosed with leukemia cancer the people at Becketwood were devastated.  Tom was much loved.  Tom was diagnosed with something similar to Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) -- a form of leukemia -- and at the time Tom had been told he would have been dead in ten days or so if they had not caught it.  Tom went through chemo at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids (he was living in Ramsey at the time) and had the stem cell transplant done at the University of Minnesota.  Tom's wife, Wanda Copeland, is the Assistant Priest at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Roseville and they moved to Roseville to be closer to her church and to the U. of M.  Kathy Fode, our classmate who also passed away this same year of a similar diagnosis, read Tom's Caring Bridge page daily.  She even contacted Tom; but for some strange reason did not know that Tom was from our class of 1958.  Strange, that two classmates from our class passed from the same disease, but neither one recalled the other was a classmate.

Tom was a member of Holy Trinity and St. Christopher's Episcopal Churches.  His first church, in St. Louis Park, was St. Georges Episcopal Church on Minnetonka Blvd.  He was a lifetime member of the Two Rivers Chorale.  That Chorale group sang beautifully at Tom's funeral.  His wife, Wanda Copeland, is, herself, an Episcopal priest and environmentalist.  She took Tom's passing very hard; fortunately the many attendees at Tom's funeral were moved to comfort Wanda in a profound display of support.  Wanda, Christine and Michael welcomed and thanked many for being there to celebrate Tom's life with them.  They wrote, "Like the confluence of streams and creeks to make a great river, all of you (Tom's people) have been strengthening and renewing to Tom and to us in these last weeks, months, and indeed years.  Do not think that we weep for the shortness of Tom's life, but celebrate all the days we had with him."

They continued, "By your presence you are affirming all the goodness that Tom was.  Our prayer is that we are all motivated by Tom's trusting and transparent spirit to do our part in feeding a troubled and hurting world, continuing the wisdom, laughter and joy that Tom exemplified.  We give thanks to our Creator for you, for Tom and for our time together."

Tom Johnson loved running, singing, canoeing, hiking and life.  His lifetime was filled with music.  He enjoyed being a singer in Mrs. Williams class at Brookside Elementary, sang with Gordy Griebenow at SLP High School, was a member of the Lamplighters Quartet for the Minneapolis Aquatennial celebrations, sang with the Something Special Singers (a mixed group of mostly church singers) and of late sang with the Two Rivers Chorale, based in the northern part of the Twin Cities.

Even at age 68 Tom Johnson made a 600-mile long bike ride, with his son Michael, from New York City to Roanoke, Virgina.  The ride was the National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Memorial ride to remember and honor those EMS workers who died or had been injured in the line of duty.  For Tom, it was a fabulous seven days of biking with his son and with incredible support from police, fire and ambulance services all along the east coast.

Tom was a runner for 25 years, including three marathons.  He lamented that Roy Griak should have started him in cross country running far earlier, when he was in high school.  Tom made lots of canoe trips too, with 15 trips to the Boundry Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota.  He also made memorable trips to Alaska, Israel, Norway, France, England, Wales and Ireland.  Below, Tom enjoys a beer on one of his trips to jolly old England.

     All in all, Tom Johnson always came back to the place he loved, for he was a true Minnesotan at heart.  What a wonder it is that such a quiet and unassuming young boy from St. Louis Park could make such a profound impact in the lives of so many others who showed their love and admiration for his part in making their lives richer by his caring and participation in theirs.

The celebration of Tom's life was a spectacular event. Actively participating were two Co-Celebrants, a Preacher, a Deacon, a Master of Ceremonies, an Intercessor, a Crucifer, two Torch Bearers, a Music Director, the Two Rivers Chorale with a conductor, a flutist, two drum beaters, three players of prelude music, two Readers and eight Eucharistic Ministers.  A casual observer would have to conclude that our classmate, Tom Johnson, led an active life and was an important man and leader in the lives of very many people.  But should we expect less of a graduate of the 1958 Class from St. Louis Park?