Walter Richard JOHNSON

1923 - 2017

JOHNSON, Walter Richard born March 31, 1923, passed away on February 12, 2017. He was preceded in death by his wife, LaVerne on January 4, 2014. Walter was born in Duluth, Minnesota, to Arthur and Lydia Johnson, a carpenter and homemaker of Finnish descent. In 1948 Walter met LaVerne while she was a nursing student and he was an electrician in Moose Lake, Minnesota. They married in 1949 and moved to Moorhead, Minnesota, where their children, identical twins, Jean and Jo, and their youngest Janet were born. Walter worked as an electrician for the American Crystal Sugar Company. In 1968, the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where Walter continued to work as an electrician including at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. After his retirement, Walt and LaVerne visited over thirty countries, including Egypt, Sweden, and China. In 1998, they moved to Tucson to be closer to their only grandchild, Waylon Martin. Dad loved gardening, woodworking, photography, going to the casino, reading, and watching sports. His family misses his never diminished curiosity and zest for life. We would like to thank the people at Via Elegante, Gentiva Hospice and Visiting Angels who helped him through his last days. Arrangements by DESERT SUNSET FUNERAL HOME.