Stenford Kim Johansen

Born Stenford Kim Johansen on January 14, 1952, in Urbana, IL, the fourth of five children of Christian
and Bernice (Dresher) Johansen, Sten attended Leal Elementary School and Urbana Junior High and
High School, spending the last 2 years of high school at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where he
played French bassoon. After graduating, Sten returned to Urbana to attend the University of Illinois,
where he earned Bachelor of Music and a Master of Library Science degrees. Sten lived his life in the
C-U area except while he attended Interlochen, and while briefly attending the Union Theological
Seminary in New York City. Most recently he resided in Savoy, IL.
Sten was a man of many interests, which were reflected in his full and varied career. With a lifelong
passion for classical music and a degree in Library Science, working as an assistant professor in the U of
I Music Library was a natural choice. In addition to working in his parents' classical record store in
campustown, he was also a well-known disco DJ at The Bar in downtown Champaign (later to become
Chester Street,) using his musical expertise to craft seamless transitions between songs. After getting his
real estate license, Sten joined Cogdal and Hobbs Realty in Urbana. He even tried his hand at
dog-showing with his sister Janis and her Old English Sheepdogs, on the AKC show circuit in its heyday.
His love of anything gourmet led him to the food and beverage industry, working in management in local
A-list restaurants such as The Courier Cafe, Silvercreek, Milo's, and The Great Impasta; gourmet food
sales at Art Mart; acting as a regional wine sales rep for Baumgarten Distributing of Peoria; and curating
gift baskets for a local wine shop as co-creator of Basket Cases. Sten then learned the art of
basket-weaving, often utilizing exotic materials, and his creations were in high demand at local galleries.
His most recent job was at Schnucks in Savoy.
In later years, Sten took a deep interest in mental health, working for Developmental Services Center
(DSC) in Champaign as a group home leader, where he assisted developmentally disabled adults with
their daily living skills and dispensed medications. It was around this time that Sten would receive some
news that forever changed his life. He received a medical diagnosis of oral cancer, and had to undergo
surgery to remove a sizable portion of his jaw and teeth. A few years later he was diagnosed with
esophageal cancer, and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment with great success. With his
excellent doctors and some very loyal, loving friends, as well as his head and neck cancer support group
and the DBSA group (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance), Sten was able to get through this rough
period in his life, defying the odds by living well over another decade. He would go on to become involved
in the DBSA weekly meetings, serving as facilitator for many years. Another source of strength and
community Sten relied on was the Urbana-Champaign (Quaker) Friends Meeting.
Sten passed away peacefully on June 30, 2025, at Carle Clinic in Urbana, at age 73. His youngest niece
was by his side. On his last day he was visited by friends and family, and talked to many people on the
phone, including relatives in his beloved "hjemland" of Denmark. He was a devoted friend to many and a
loving son, brother, uncle, and grand-uncle, and he will be sorely missed. He viewed his passing as a new
beginning, and wanted the memories of his life to give his friends and family "joy and not sorrow."
Sten was preceded in death by his parents, Christian and Bernice Johansen, sisters Janis
Johansen-Wood and Kristi Johansen, his brother, Lansing K. Johansen, niece Kaja Schriefer, and
grand-nephew Asher Wood.
He is survived by his sister Sigrid Johansen Aeschleman (Arnie) of Normal, Illinois, nine nieces and
nephews: Ketty Duvall (Bill), Champaign, IL; Kirsten (Kis) Knecht, Floral Park, NY; Ilse Knecht, Brooklyn,
NY; Christopher Wood, Bloomington, IL; Chelsea Guder (Paul) Savoy, IL; Lisa Johansen Funk (Mike)
Oakland, FL; Laura Beth Johansen-Cohn (Adam), Winter Garden, FL; Michael Kurtyak, Homer Glen, IL;
Sean Kurtyak (Michelle), Downs, IL, and nineteen grand-nieces and grand-nephews: Kailee Duvall, Nik
Schriefer (Kalynn); Hannah Schriefer; Johnny Makes; Mallory and Vivian Guder; Ezra, Rowan, Jonas,
and Callum Wood; Drew Funk; Ben, Maya, Eliana and Jonah Cohn; Ayden, Mason, Brady, and Ava
Kurtyak.
Sten is also survived by his family namesake, cousin Sten Johs Hansen, of Aalborg, Denmark, in whom
he took great pride. The younger Sten is the son of Kamilla Hansen and grandson of Mette Helene
Hansen.
Renner-Wikoff Chapel accorded cremation rites. A celebration of life reception will be held for family and
friends on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 2:00-4:00 PM at the chapel, following a private family
graveside service at the family plot in historic Mount Hope Cemetery in Champaign. Sten's final wishes
were that, in place of flowers, those who feel moved to do so make memorial contributions to the
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) online at http://dbsalliance.org/donate, or by a check
payable to DBSA, mailed in care of Pat Hoey 508 W. Michigan Ave, Urbana, IL 61801.
"Gud, vær' med dig til vi ses igen, Onkel Sten. Vi elsker dig."
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