Daren Wayne JOHNSON

1928 - 2022

Daren Wayne Johnson passed away peacefully at his son's home in Colbert, Washington on Thursday, February 10. He was born to Maynard and Eva (Rickel) Johnson at Elk River, Idaho on January 30, 1928.

He was raised in Spokane and at the age of 17 during his senior year at Lewis and Clark High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He attended flight school at Pensacola, Florida. During the Korean War, he was a member of Patrol Squadron 47 and flew 36 strike missions. He remained on active duty until 1958 and served in the reserves until he retired as a Captain in 1973.

While on leave from the Navy he met his wife, Fayetta Tisher, and they were married at Sandpoint, Idaho, on February 7, 1951. They raised four children, Roger, Cindy, Jennifer, and Jerry.

He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1955 with a degree in Civil Engineering. His first job after college was working for the City of Spokane. In 1958 he moved his family to Olympia and began employment with the Washington State Highway Department Bridge Division. He was always proud of the fact that he designed the I-90 bridge over Latah Creek in Spokane. In 1963 he went to work for Washington State Parks as Chief Engineer and retired as Deputy Director in 1983.

In 1968 he and Fayetta purchased an 80-acre farm/ranch near Rochester, Washington. In addition to raising their children, they opened their home for others and during their 70 years of marriage took in well over 100 young people that they accepted as their own. During their 35 years of living on the farm/ranch, it was not unusual for there to be 12 to 15 people seated at the dinner table.

Daren was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Upon his retirement from the State of Washington, he and Fayetta served a year and a half mission in Missouri. He held various callings in the church. He was also a scoutmaster and in 1966 took his oldest son and 12 boys on a 50-mile hike through the Olympics. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and camping. Even into his 90s he was still sleeping outside on a cot in below-freezing weather and enjoying every minute of it.

In 2004, Daren and Fayetta moved back to Spokane and they have enjoyed family and friends in the area.

Daren was preceded in death by his parents, Maynard and Eva Johnson, and siblings, Janet Cox Wiechmann, Dean Ray Johnson, and Lyle Maynard Johnson.

He is survived by his wife Fayetta Tisher Johnson and children; Roger and Joanne Johnson of Vancouver, WA, Cindy Johnson of Adairsville, GA, Jennifer and Craig Johnson of Medical Lake, WA, and Jerry and Denise Johnson of Colbert, WA, as well as numerous foster children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Services are provided by Heritage Funeral and Cremation and will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 10405 W. Melville Rd., Cheney, Wa 99004 on March 7, 2022. He will be interred at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, WA.