Nicholas Dana "Nick" Johnson

Former Alaska resident Nicholas Dana "Nick" Johnson, 28, died in a kayaking accident May 4, 2008, in Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica.
A celebration of his life will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Matanuska River Park in Palmer with a potluck afterward. There will be a celebration in Portland, Ore., on May 22 at Valley View Evangelical Church and a private service in Seattle at a later date.
Nick was born March 31, 1980, in Portland to Gregg and Cory Johnson. He moved to Alaska with his family in 1983. Nick attended Snowshoe Elementary School, Wasilla Middle School and graduated from Wasilla High School in 1998. He attended Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, graduating as an auto technician.
Nick made his home in Seattle, living with his brother Travis. He took a break from working last December to enjoy life and play his music. He had hoped to see new parts of the world and was excited to experience all he could in this life, his family wrote. Nick enjoyed playing his guitar, riding motorcycles and hanging out with friends and family members.
"Nick will always be remembered for his quiet, gentle spirit, his easy-going attitude and awesome smile," his family wrote. "He was a superb hugger who will be missed by all who knew him."
Nick is survived by his parents, Cory and Gregg of Wasilla; sister and brother-in-law, Brandy and Matt Reid; nieces, Hannah, Sydney and Audrey of Portland; brother, Travis Johnson of Seattle; brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Kim; and nephew, Jude of Anchorage; grandparents, Lloyd and Virginia Johnson of Vancouver, Wash.; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family.
Memorials may be sent to the National Wildlife Foundation (nwf.org).