THOMAS E. S. JOHNSON

(May 1963 – January 9, 2026) Tom Johnson loved the outdoors. As a gardener, dahlias, begonias, fuchsias, and delphiniums were close to his heart, along with cabbages and beans. As a forester, Tom was often in the bush, describing ecosystems and identifying plants by their Latin and common names even on casual strolls. Born in Powell River, the family moved to Prince Rupert and stayed for Tom's early school years. In 1973, the Johnsons settled in North Vancouver where Tom went to Handsworth Secondary School and played the tuba in the North Vancouver Youth Band. In 1976, his family started building a log house on a property at Teanook Lake outside of Victoria. Five years of weekends and summer holidays were spent cutting, peeling, winching and fitting logs with campfire cook outs and swimming in between. In 1981/82 Tom attended University in Victoria so he could finally live in the log house. He also went to the University of British Columbia and later finished his degree in forestry at the University of Oregon State at Corvallis. In 1985, he cycled through Europe and then the forest industry almost lost him to the world of ceramics after a year spent apprenticing with a family friend in Canmore. In the early 1990s, he bought a house in Smithers and then moved to Nelson where his son Robin was born. He later returned to Smithers where he met his partner, Heather Ramsay. In 2004, Tom took a job with BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and they moved to Haida Gwaii where they enjoyed new friends, beaches, forests and fresh seafood. In 2014, Tom took another BCTS job in Chilliwack, and he and Heather bought a house above the floodplain. A new era of exploration and white-water canoeing trips began. Throughout his career, Tom was a great role model and mentor, sharing his insights and experiences freely. He was also a great reader and he and Heather's discussions inspired her debut novel about a young forest worker on Haida Gwaii. Tom's love language was cooking and hosting dinners for friends and family. According to Robin, Tom's meals may have produced the maximum amount of dishes, but they were always worth it. Tom lived life to the fullest, enjoying three solid years after he was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. Tom is survived by Heather Ramsay and son, Robin Johnson; his sister, Karen Johnson, and nieces, Linnea and Niva Stephenson; his Aunt Phyl (Dan) Gaskell; Uncles Bob and Ken Johnson and Aunt Claire Shaw. He was predeceased by his father, Charlie; and mother, Sue Johnson.