Ralph William Johnson

Ralph William JOHNSON Ralph William Johnson passed away on August 2, 2011 in Salem, OR at the age of 89 from causes incident to his age. He was born on June 22, 1922 in Loomis, Nebraska, the son of Walter L. Johnson and Esther M. Larson Johnson. Ralph had been a resident of Salem for the past 10 years, and prior to that, he was a resident of Shoreline, WA for 39 years. Ralph served for 3 years and 4 months in the Army Air Force during World War II as a radio operator and a radio instructor. While stationed in Madison, WI, he met a special young lady, Mary Kathryn O'Connor, who worked as a waitress at one of the local restaurants. They married on December 13, 1944 in Madison. In 1962, Ralph moved his family to Seattle, WA where he found a job working for the Washington State DOT. He continued working there until his retirement in 1982. Ralph enjoyed many activities outside of work: visiting friends and family, ham radio, genealogy, sports, and music. Ralph was preceded in death by his wife Mary of 54 years, daughter Jean Johnson Dill, brother Roger Johnson, and sister Rachel Johnson Miserentino. He is survived by his brother Royce Johnson, sister Carolyn Johnson McElvain, son James W. Johnson, daughter Joyce Johnson Lau, 8 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. A Memorial service will be held at Evergreen Washelli in Seattle on Saturday, August 6th at 12:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to charity.