Kim Richard Johnson

Kim Richard Johnson of Marion, Iowa was unexpectedly called home to heaven on January 20, 2026, in Queens, New York. Memorial Visitation will be held Friday, March 6, 2026, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. Visitation will also be Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 10:00 am until the 11:00 am Memorial Service celebrating Kim's life in Christ at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. Interment will be private.

He was born on March 27, 1952, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin to Richard and Joyce (Rathke) Johnson and he graduated from Iowa State University in 1974 with a degree in landscape architecture. On June 18, 1977, he married Cheryl Tornow, and together they had two beloved daughters, Beth and Becky. Kim worked at Amana Refrigeration for four years before spending the rest of his professional career in Purchasing and Production at Evergreen Packaging Equipment, formerly Cherry Burrell, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He retired early in 2006 to dedicate his time to the things he was truly passionate about, including disaster relief efforts, helping to rebuild homes, landscaping, volunteering as a medical courier with the National Marrow Donor Program, and spending more time with his family.

Kim's faith was evident in every aspect of his life. He loved the Lord and was an active participant in church and Bible classes. Especially dear to him was his time with his small group Bible study friends, who call themselves the Flamingos. He loved serving the Lord in practical ways, like doing landscaping projects on the church property and helping with disaster relief and rebuilding organizations like Eight Days of Hope and Block by Block.

He loved his family unreservedly and delighted in providing for them, making sure they had everything they needed and that they were safe and protected every step of the way. He was his grandchildren's biggest fan and was so proud to see them in action in their activities on the field, court, or stage. A dry sense of humor was his calling card, and sometimes you would only catch that he was joking by the twinkle in his eye.

The Eagle Scout in him meant that he was always prepared. He planned ahead for things and preferred to get to the airport many hours before a flight, just to be on the safe side. As an experienced handyman, he was always willing to help you on your project, even if it meant long hours of work and days of sore muscles. He really was the hardest worker you would ever meet, but he was happy to do that hard work behind the scenes, without the need for recognition. All he was interested in hearing was, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Kim enjoyed traveling with Cheryl to his favorite vacation spot in Mexico each year and looked forward to getting out of the cold winter weather. Cruises were also high on his list, where he frequently requested three scoops of butter pecan ice cream for dessert (instead of the standard two scoops). Both on trips and at home, he was known for being a generous tipper.

Dependability was one of his main characteristics, and he was determined to carry out every task to completion and do any duty that was required of him. When Kim passed away, he was in the middle of a trip as a volunteer medical courier to pick up stem cells from a donor in one location and deliver them to a recipient in another location. He would be pleased to know that the stem cells he was transporting were retrieved by another courier and made it safely to their recipient so they could be used in a lifesaving procedure.

He was a good man because he served a great God, and he will be missed. So, in honor of Kim, be encouraged to work a little harder, tip a little extra, serve the Lord a little more, get to the airport a little earlier, and go ahead and get that third scoop of ice cream.

Kim is survived by his wife, Cheryl; children, Beth (Anthony) Dix and Becky Johnson; grandchildren, Josiah, Miriam, and Elijah Dix; siblings, Roxanne Wigen and Mark Johnson; many nieces and nephews; the Flamingos; and many other dear friends and family members.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Eric.

Memorial contributions may be given to the family or to King of Kings Lutheran Church – Disaster Relief Fund.

To learn more about how to become a donor on the NMDP registry, go to https://www.nmdp.org/get-involved/join-the-registry.