James Patrick Johnson

1953 - 2016

James Patrick Johnson

A memorial service for James Patrick Johnson will be held in the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church, 9333 Linwood Ave, Shreveport, LA, on Monday, December 12, 2016 at 10:00 AM, followed by a reception in the church's Family Life Center.

Patrick was born in Shreveport on February 9, 1953, and passed away in Shreveport on December 8, 2016, after a long, brave battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his father, Raymond R. Johnson; his stepfather, James A. Boogaerts; his brothers, Michael Johnson and Robert Boogaerts; and his grandson, Evan Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Janis Gabriel Johnson; his four children, State Rep. Mike Johnson and his wife Kelly, Chris Johnson and his wife Susan, Josh Johnson and his wife Lara, and Laura Johnson Montgomery and her husband Matthew; his fourteen grandchildren, Hannah, Abby, Jack, Will, Patrick, Adam, Elizabeth, Owen, Heidi, Max, Noah, Jacob, Jude and Peter; his mother, Betty Boogaerts; his former wife and the mother of his children, Jeanne Johnson; his siblings, Terry Broome and her husband J.C., Mary Jane Branch, Laura Morrow, Randy Boogaerts and his wife Kim, Susie Nordyke and her husband Jeff, and Charles Boogaerts; and his numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Patrick was a man of extraordinary ability who dedicated his life to serving others. He joined the Shreveport Fire Department in 1974, served on the Hazardous Materials Response team, and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief Training Officer, where he helped develop the continuing education college program for the SFD. In 1984, he was severely burned and permanently disabled in the tragic Dixie Cold Storage Facility fire, which also claimed the life of his friend and colleague, Capt. Percy R. Johnson. Patrick's heroic survival story became an inspiration to many and the subject of the book, Up from the Ashes.

In 1985, after overcoming a 5% chance to live, Patrick co-founded and served as executive director of the nonprofit Percy R. Johnson Burn Foundation, which has served more than 15,000 burn patients and their families and sponsors "Camp I'm Still Me" for children. He was also the founder and president of PM Hazmat, Inc., which for more than 20 years has been developing and providing critical safety and emergency response training programs and operational procedures for governments, industries, and public safety organizations throughout the United States and around the world.

Grounded in his faith, Patrick treasured the gift of life and genuinely loved all people. He was a natural born leader, admired for his God-given wisdom, charisma and ability to communicate. A man of great inner strength and many talents, he was a student of humanity, and at various times, a public speaker and instructor, a writer, a music producer, and an inventor. His legacy of sacrifice and service will be forever remembered and we rest in the assurance that we will see him again in Heaven.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Percy R. Johnson Burn Foundation, 1501 Kings Highway, P. O. Box 610-618, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, or other charities.