Garrett William Johnson

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved son and brother, Garrett William Johnson, on February 1, 2026.

Garrett was born on February 17, 1990, in Bakersfield, California. He attended and graduated from OKCS in 2004 and BCHS in 2008. Garrett graduated cum laude from Westmont College in 2012, earning degrees in Biology, Chemistry, and English. He worked in Santa Barbara before entering the Ph.D. graduate program in Chemical Biology at the University of Michigan in 2015. During his fifth year of graduate school, Garrett was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent surgeries and treatment. Despite this immense challenge, he persevered and completed his Ph.D. in 2021.

After returning to California in December 2025, we discovered that his cancer had returned, and he underwent further treatment. Despite every effort, the disease was too aggressive. Garrett was then brought home, where he entered into glory surrounded by his family.

Garrett is survived in death by his parents, Jennifer and William Allan Johnson; his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, Jared, Christine, and Henry Johnson; and his sister and brother-in-law, Ellie and Tarin Tackett.

A memorial service will be held at Olive Knolls Church of the Nazarene on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Olive Knolls Christian School in Garrett's memory.