Daniel Ray Johnson

Daniel Ray Johnson, known to all as Danny, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2026, at the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, Arkansas, surrounded by love and family.

Danny was born on June 9, 1981, in Austin, Texas to Fred Terry Johnson and Patti Lynn Railey. He was diagnosed with autism at age two and experienced the world in his own remarkable way. He had an extraordinary memory-he never forgot a name. He could identify airlines with a single glance at a plane flying into the airport. He mastered Super Mario Brothers so completely that he could play without looking. He had every word of dialogue from his favorite movies-Mary Poppins, E.T., and Ernest Goes to Camp-memorized and ready to quote at just the right moment.

Danny attended Eureka Springs High School, where he filled the halls with love and served the important role of sorting the mail, a job he took seriously and performed with pride. For the last 15 years of his life, he lived in Jonesboro at the Human Development Center, cared for by a loving staff who became family to him.

One of Danny's greatest joys was riding his cruiser bike around familiar routes, waving at everyone he passed and greeting them by name. He competed in the Special Olympics, loved the Beatles and 90s country music, and brought sunshine everywhere he went.

Danny is survived by his father, Fred Terry Johnson; his mother, Patti Lynn Railey; sister Rachael Railey; brother Michael Railey; grandmothers Judy Bradley Johnson and Dorothy Railey; stepmother Cathy Lee Calloway Johnson; stepsiblings Lauren Elizabeth Hall, Melissa Hall Simmons, and John Richard Hall; niece Harlowe Calloway Haynes; nephew Henley Collins Haynes; and countless friends and caregivers whose lives he touched deeply. He is preceded in death by his grandfathers Fred T Johnson and James Dean Railey, and his special "Uncle Joe."

A memorial service will be held March 7 at St Margaret's Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jonesboro Human Development Center, Attention: Cynthia Wilson, 4701 Colony Drive, Jonesboro, AR 72404.