Willard Gene Johnson — Larkin Mortuary

Willard Gene Johnson of Ovid, Idaho, handed away within the house of his daughter, Dana, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 5, 2026, on the age of 86.

Born July 15, 1939, Gene lived a life marked by service, expertise, complexity, and deep ties to the place his household helped construct.

He was preceded in loss of life by his dad and mom, Wid and Eva, his 5 siblings, LaVern, Wyona, Evelyn, Ray, and Niel, and most significantly, his loving, devoted spouse, Arleen Hemmert Johnson.

He is survived by his kids, Laron (Cathy) and Dana (Ramsey), and his grandchildren, Dalton (Katie) and Allison (Mark).

Gene shall be laid to relaxation at sea by the United States Navy, returning to the waters that formed a lot of his life and repair.

A small reception shall be held at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, on Saturday, May 23, at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please contemplate donating to your native Humane Society or animal shelter.

A Tribute to My Father

by Dana

My father lived a life outlined by service, expertise, contradiction, and a deep connection to the world round him.

He was a proud United States Navy veteran who served greater than 20 years with distinguished and honorable service. As a Chief Petty Officer and Electronics Technician specializing in radar and navigation, he served aboard the USS Sierra (AD-18), USS Gearing (DD-710), USS Pledge (MSO-492), USS Pivot (MSO-463), and USS Chemung (AO-30). His profession carried him internationally, with assignments in San Diego, Treasure Island, New Orleans, the Great Lakes, and Exmouth, Western Australia. From spending New Year’s Eve on the Eiffel Tower to sitting atop the Acropolis and crusing to the nice pyramids, his travels have been as expansive because the seas he sailed.

In a time earlier than GPS, navigation demanded precision, self-discipline, and belief in a single’s talent. Gene discovered pleasure in celestial navigation, charting his course by the celebrities and solar, fastidiously mapping the huge, open ocean. To circumnavigate the earth guided solely by the sky was one thing he held as a quiet and enduring level of pleasure all through his life.

He accomplished greater than 5 excursions in Vietnam and earned a number of commendations, together with the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, 5 Good Conduct Medals, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon. He additionally served as an teacher, leaving a long-lasting affect on these he educated by way of his management and dedication. His navy profession was outlined by excellence, self-discipline, honor, and dedication, and I’ll all the time be deeply happy with it.

After his service, he continued to offer to his neighborhood by way of the Bear Lake County Translator District, the place he served for 30 years, together with 20 years as President. His work helped develop tv entry throughout your entire Bear Lake space, connecting a rural neighborhood to the broader world. His dedication to service by no means wavered, although it typically got here at a private value.

My father’s life was not easy, and neither have been the relationships inside it. He carried the consequences of being born through the Great Depression, in addition to the load of his years of service, together with his experiences within the Vietnam War. He carried what he noticed and lived by way of there, issues no individual ought to ever should bear, and in his later years, these burdens surfaced as PTSD. While he gave a lot of himself to his nation and neighborhood, his absence was additionally felt inside our household. That, too, is a part of his story.

And but, he gave us issues that formed who we turned.

He gave me nice pleasure in the place I come from. Our household helped settle Ovid, Idaho, and that historical past lived in him. No matter the place on the planet the Navy took him, he all the time got here again. He later bought his childhood schoolhouse, holding onto a bit of that legacy and the city that outlined him. Through his service and his tales, he instilled in me not solely a respect for our roots however a deep pleasure in my nation and people who have served it. He taught me that the resilience and dedication of those that got here earlier than us matter, and that they dwell on by way of us.

He gave me laughter. My dad had a pointy wit and a humorousness that might fill a room. His jokes weren’t all the time applicable, however they have been all the time memorable. He was, with out query, probably the greatest storytellers I’ve ever identified. The potential to make individuals giggle, maintain their consideration, and convey tales to life turned one thing I relied on, one thing that carried me by way of my childhood and remains to be a part of who I’m in the present day.

He gave me music. He was a gifted musician who performed the organ, violin, and mandolin. He carried out on the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the Mormon Tabernacle, and on famend pipe organs all through the United States.

And maybe most actually, he gave love in the way in which he knew how.

My father beloved animals in a manner that was uncommon and deeply real. He related with them in methods he typically struggled to with individuals, even his family. Around animals, he was unguarded, affected person, and absolutely himself. He was a real animal whisperer. There was a softness there, a purity, that exposed the perfect elements of who he was. I discover consolation within the thought that his beloved canine, Trixie, got here to him in these remaining moments, serving to him discover his manner as he handed.

Despite every little thing, he raised two kids who grew into robust, succesful, and deeply dedicated members of their communities. My brother, Laron, is the 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year and has devoted 29 years to serving the youth of Rigby High School as an Economics and Holocaust educator. His work displays a deep dedication to shaping not simply educated college students, however considerate, compassionate human beings. He lives by the assumption that each scholar deserves to be school or career-ready, and his affect reaches far past the classroom.

More than that, he’s an unimaginable father, current, regular, and deeply dedicated to his household. The life he has constructed speaks volumes about his character, values, and the legacy he’s creating for the following technology.

I’ve devoted over 25 years of my profession to serving the state of Utah, constructing a life centered round management, dedication, and repair. But above all, I’m deeply dedicated to my household. When my mom turned sick, I made the choice to deliver each of my dad and mom into my house, the place I cared for each of them by way of the ultimate chapters of their lives.

We are each leaders in our personal methods, and we each carry items of him with us, each the teachings of what to do and what to do in a different way. We reside proof that even in tough circumstances, one thing significant can nonetheless be constructed.

His life is a reminder that persons are not one factor. They are difficult, imperfect, formed by their experiences, and able to each nice energy and nice battle.

I’ll all the time be happy with his service. I’ll all the time carry his tales and his laughter with me.

I launch my father’s ashes to the ocean, trusting that the identical power that created rivers and oceans and tides is similar power that carries our family members house.

With love and gratitude,

Dana