John Paul Johnson

John Paul Johnson, mentor to many and friend to all, passed from this life to eternity on July 21, 2020 at age 72. Born January 31, 1948 in San Diego, California to Gordon and Sandra (Ford) Johnson, he was also raised by a village of wonderful Aunts and Uncles and Grandpa and Grandma.Being the “original ADHD kid”, John was kept busy at his Uncle’s cabinet shop. Every day when he came home from school, Uncle would have pencil marks wherever John needed to nail. Later, at age 10, he began working at his other Uncle’s bakery, The Royal Pie Bakery of San Diego. He continued working there, becoming one of their best cake decorators, until he entered the United States Coast Guard in 1970.He graduated from Hilltop High school and attended Southwestern Community College, both of Chula Vista, CA, where he studied photography among other subjects. This was before the digital age of photography and all had to be developed in the dark room. Being an avid photographer, he won an award for a picture he took of Bobby Kennedy. After boot camp, his first duty station was the Coast Guard Cutter Woodbine in Grand Haven,Michigan where he met and married his wife, Barbara in 1972. Spending twenty-one years in the service moved them from Bath, Maine in the north to Long Beach, California in the south and many duty stations and ships in between. While First Class at the Ashtabula, Ohio Coast Guard Station in 1976, he was named Coast Guardsman of the Year for rescuing and performing CPR on an 11-month old baby girl whose father had thrown her into the Ashtabula River. Representative Robert J. Boggs, Ohio House of Representatives, noted, “We applaud your outstanding achievement and high standards of performance in both the military and civilian aspects of your life. It is through dedicated individuals like you, who possess a high degree of responsibility and sense of duty, that our nation remains strong and secure. We congratulate you on your receipt of these prestigious awards and salute, you as one of our nation’s finest citizens and a most outstanding Coast Guardsman.”

As a Christian, whether serving in our military or as a civilian, John always put others first and himself last. John lived the Golden Rule. He wasn’t just a “hearer of the Word, but a doer” as well. His greatest joy was when helping another person. He will be sadly missed by his wife, Barbara, his two sons, Scott (Reziel) Johnson of Traverse City, Michigan and Joshua Johnson of Wichita, KS, and his grandson, Austin Johnson of Sebring, FL. Also surviving is a sister Pamela Layus Vallin. He is preceded in death by his parents and 1 grandson Isaac Johnson.

His Celebration of Life will be held August 3rd at 11 a.m. at the Sebring Parkway Church of Christ, Sebring, and Military Honors will be presented at Sarasota National Cemetery on August 4th.

Arrangements entrusted to:

Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home

4001 Sebring Parkway

Sebring, FL 33870

Online condolences may be left at:

www.stephensonnelsonfh.com