Bradley R. Johnson

Bradley R. Johnson, age 65, of Shawnee, Kansas, died of lung cancer at his home and in the presence of his family on Monday, August 18, 2014.

Brad was born on November 21, 1948, in Waukegan, Illinois, the son and middle-child of Merle Larrabee and Gustave Pontus Johnson Jr. In the mid-1960s, Brad’s family moved to Redding, California, which Brad always considered his hometown. Brad served and sustained a permanent injury in the Vietnam War, and then he continued as a microwave radar technician and Army recruiter for 20 years, retiring as a First Sergeant. Military service runs in the family; Merle served as a Yeoman Second Class in the Navy in WWII, and Gustave was an enlisted instructor pilot for Naval officers serving in WWII and was later commissioned as an Ensign. Brad's brother Dennis served as a Tech Sergeant in the Air Force. Brad's son Brian is a First Sergeant in the Army, and his stepson Travis serves as a Naval Air Crewman Avionics First Class.

Brad then took a temporary job at Able Employment and Riojas Enterprises, where he eventually became vice-president and enjoyed "putting people to work." He worked for Ana and Carlos Riojas for 22 years until the company closed in 2008. After discovering that retirement did not suit him, he and his wife, Becky, partnered to run a B&B, the Steeple Inn in Liberty, Missouri, while simultaneously completing an ambitious restoration project on a Victorian home nearby. Brad later had the opportunity to resume his restoration hobby by partnering with his friend Carlos to restore a 1930s house in Brookside. He also worked part-time at the Shawnee Lowe’s store and ended his career as a human resources director at Butterfly Labs in Leawood, Kansas.

When he wasn't hard at work, Brad rarely stopped to rest and thrived on spending time with his family, landscaping his yard, grilling, traveling, and taking on various home improvement projects. He even found time to become an acknowledged “motorhead” and loved anything that went fast, including boats, cars, and Harleys. He could repair anything that broke, and he didn't hesitate to do so, whether it belonged to him or to his family and friends.

Brad is survived by his wife of 14 years, Rebecca L. Price; two siblings, Dennis Johnson and Karen Robinson; two children, Brian Johnson and Leigh Anne Benedict; two stepchildren, Travis Price and Lindsey Roe; and nine grandchildren. In consideration of his step-children, he always simply said, “I have 4 kids.”

A visitation will be held at 8:30 a.m. Friday, August 22, 2014 at the Amos Funeral Home in Shawnee, with the funeral to follow at 9:30 a.m. with a procession and graveside service at 11:00 a.m. at Leavenworth National Cemetery.

Memorials can be made to Brad’s church, the Center for Spiritual Living-Crossroads in Shawnee; or to the HeartStrings Community Foundation.