Alan L. Johnson

1972 - 2026

Funeral services for Alan Johnson, of Osakis, formerly of Donnelly, will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16, at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, with the Rev. Rochelle Anderson officiating. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, and for one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Burial will be in Vinger Cemetery in Morris. Come as you are, but the dress code is preferred casual for all those in attendance out of respect for Alan's style.
Alan Lee Johnson, 53, of Osakis, passed away peacefully Jan. 7, 2026, at Quiet Oaks Hospice House in St. Cloud after a brief battle with cancer. He was born in Morris Nov. 13, 1972, to his beloved parents, Clifford and Betty Johnson.
Alan was born the third of three boys to Cliff and Betty, coming after his two brothers, Richard and Kevin. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Donnelly. Alan grew up with his brothers on the family farm, and, from early on in his life, became a true outdoorsman. Alan spent his childhood working hard next to his parents and tending to the animals and crops. Alan always had animals in his life, including sheep, turkeys, pigs, cows and dogs.
After graduating from high school in Morris and having learned hard work early on as a child on the farm and always having a passion for racing and cars, he opened his own auto body shop in 2020, Centre Collision in Sauk Centre, which he operated until September 2025. Alan's life was not always easy, but he had the love of his life, Karrie, walking by his side every step of the way. Before falling in love later in life, the two had known each other since high school, and their romance blossomed, not just as partners but as best friends. Together, they walked through a great deal of loss including their dream home and Alan's mother, Betty, who sadly passed away from cancer herself in October 2020.
While Alan may not have always had an easy road, he certainly never stopped walking it with resilience, even up until the very end. Alan had a passion for many things - anything motor-sports related, snowmobiling and, as mentioned above, Alan loved to hunt, especially pheasant and deer hunting, and he always had his two pals by his side, Blaze and Benelli. One of the last things he did while battling cancer, was claim a deer, something that brought him so much joy - just like racing did. When he wasn't working, Alan was racing cars competitively in and around Alexandria. He was a perfectionist, always tinkering with things that could use improvement, which made him the perfect auto body technician. Alan never accepted mediocre; he gave everything his all, and, more than anything else, he loved his family and friends. There isn't anything he wouldn't do to help someone out. While Alan may no longer be present on this earth, his eternal soul lives on not just with his mother, but also in the hearts of all those left to mourn his passing.
Alan's family will remember him for his heart of gold, his smile, his loving nature, and they will cherish the memories he leaves them with, like road trips to gun shows where Alan had to have everyone in the car stop for food on the way to and from the show. They were never sure where he was putting the food, but he always had an appetite for that and life. Alan was a remarkable man who left an impression on everyone who crossed paths with him. And he will be deeply missed as we celebrate the life he lived.
May God Bless the memory of Alan Lee Johnson.
Alan is survived by his fiancee of 25 years, Karrie Bahr of Osakis; father, Clifford Johnson of Donnelly; brothers, Richard (Karen) Johnson of Morris and Kevin (Shelley) of Morris; nieces, Kristina, Shaylynn and Kalley; nephew, Justin; pups, Shelby, Boone and Murphy; as well as many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Johnson; Aunt Delores; Uncle Richard; and many other relatives.
The family would like to extend their deep gratitude to the staff at Quiet Oaks Hospice, his cancer care team at Coborn Cancer Center in St. Cloud, Alan's oncologist, Dr. Abigael Luke with CentraCare; and a deep thank you to the first responders of Douglas County and Sheriff Merrill. They will forever be grateful for the care and compassion you gave to Alan and them during these past few months.
Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in care of the arrangements for Alan. To send condolences to the family, please visit www.pedersenfh.com.