Kenneth Johnson

Kenneth LaVerne Johnson was born in 1931 in Waukesha, Wis., and passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2009, in Atascadero. "Sonny Boy," as his mother called him, served his country during the Korean conflict. While in Korea, Ken fell in love with Matsue and they soon married and had five children: Kathy, Julie, Ken, Kandie and Marcy, and later, he was blessed with a sixth child, Jennifer, by Carol Throop. When Ken and Matsue moved from Korea to the United States, he followed his entrepreneurial instincts and first settled in Wisconsin and then moved his family to California, where he rode a roller coaster of experiences and cultural change. He was a successful real estate broker in Southern California, a ski lodge owner in Tahoe City, a Federal natural disaster emergency manager in Washington state and owner-operator of Calistoga Ranch Campground. Ken married Margie Thomas in 1987, making her, and daughters Shadiah and Sabah, a beloved new part of his family. They created a new life together and built a chain of highly successful restaurants "Margie''s Diner." Throughout it all, his acceptance of people for who they were, no matter how they may have seemed to others, made Ken one of those people you only meet once in a lifetime. He reveled in his family. His grandchildren Jake, Phoenix, Maya and baby Francois, brought unequaled joy and a whole new meaning to his life. He was more than 70 years old when they arrived ''" goodness how he loved them! Ken sailed with friends, took his family on ocean cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean and traveled the world with Margie. He had a personalized license plate that read, "INHALED," with a frame around it that said, "Life''s Too Short To Drink Funky Wine." He loved good wine and stomped grapes with his bare feet. He loved all kinds of music and finger-picked a mean country guitar. He dined at the best restaurants and drank at local taverns. He''d cover your back whenever you needed it and was a generous and loving friend, father and husband. There''ll never be another one like him. The family of Ken Johnson invite you to help send him off on his next grand adventure at a Celebration of Life to be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 11, 2009, at the Atascadero Elk''s Lodge, 1516 El Camino in Atascadero. Please bring fond memories and funny stories. Casual or aloha attire. Thank you so much. We look forward to sharing tears of joy with all of you. Margie Johnson, Kathy and Dick Broderick, Julia Johnson, Ken Johnson, Kerri "Kandie" and Jake Johnson, Marcy Johnson, Jennifer "JJ," Patrick, Phoenix and Maya Lynch, Shadiah Shweiky, Sabah, Kamal and Francois Smith. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution in memory of Ken Johnson to The Salvation Army, 5411 El Camino, Atascadero, CA 93422.