Ryan L Johnson

Ryan Lee Johnson, age 35, of Kearney died Sunday, August 28th, 2016 from injuries received in an auto accident in rural Dawson County. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He had an infectious smile that made people feel instantly comfortable and a heart that backed it up. Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 1st at First Lutheran Church, 3315 G Ave, Kearney, with Rev. Meg Sander officiating. Interment will follow at the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. Memorials are suggested to either The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a charity supported through the NAPA Get Back Give Back Program or to Johnson Lake EMS where various members of his family have proudly served for years. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Ryan was born on April 20th, 1981 in Lexington to Scott Johnson and Pam (Johnson) Gardner. He grew up in Kearney where he graduated from Kearney High School in 1999. He continued to call Kearney home throughout his life. On September 23rd, 2000, Ryan married Amy Schmidt. He consistently told everyone how grateful he was for her and how she was the love of his life. They had two beautiful kids, Kaylie and Dylan, who he was extremely proud of - he would light up when he spoke about them. His wife and kids meant the world to him and he worked very hard to give them the best life he could. Ryan joined the family business at age 5 and progressed through the ranks to become an owner of multiple NAPA stores, to the great pride of his father and co-workers who worked and grew with him. Working in the NAPA stores gave him the opportunity to build and develop many lifelong friendships. Everyone who knew Ryan, knew he fully enjoyed life. He cherished spending time with his family. He especially appreciated spending time at Johnson Lake with family and friends – whether boating, fishing, jet-skiing or just being with those he loved. Ryan and Amy’s cabin became the place to gather over the 4th of July for his massive fireworks celebration. Ryan made it a high priority to take time out and vacation with his family, always looking forward to the next destination. His favorite vacations spots often revolved around relaxing on the beach. They took many trips to Upper Michigan where Ryan enjoyed the outdoors - riding the trails on the ATV’s and snowmobiles. He also enjoyed fishing; whether deep sea or tossing a line off the bank. He was “the man” when it came to grilling a steak and always took the trophy in the family’s jerky contest. Among his many interests, he had a passion for NASCAR and never missed a Sunday race. Ryan loved everyone in his family so dearly. Whether his sister who he referred to as his person, his father who was his best friend and mentor, or his mother who always had his back. He loved his friends like family. He was an amazing husband, father, brother, son, uncle, cousin, friend and more. Survivors include his spouse Amy Johnson of Kearney; son Dylan Johnson of Kearney; daughter Kaylie Johnson and boyfriend Freddy Herrera of Kearney; father Scott Johnson and fiancé Kim Foley of Johnson Lake; mother Pam Gardner and Step-Father Ken Gardner of Johnson Lake; sister Kimberly Johnson of Hildreth; step-sisters Brandy Popken and husband Cody of Lexington, Lori Belitz of Kearney and Katie Newton of Omaha; other survivors include his nephews Jayden, Rylee and Macyn of Hildreth; nephews and nieces; Chassidy and Anthony Jr Turner of Kearney; niece Braylee Turner of Kearney, Kamryn Pike and Kinley Popken of Lexington, Makai Blue and Azaylia Schroeder of Kearney; grandparents Ray and Janet Lemos of Colorado and Judith Bradford of Missouri; his beloved great-aunt Betty Witmer of Colorado; his mother-in-law Barb Turner of Kearney, father-in-law Wayne Schmidt and fiancé Pam Avera of Shelton; brother-in-law Tony and wife Ashley of Kearney; brother-in-law Quincey Schmidt and Angie Nelson of Kearney; sister-in-law Alexis Turner of Kearney; and many, many aunts, uncles, cousins and amazing friends and co-workers. Ryan was preceded in death by his grandparents Dorothy and Stuart Johnson, Marvin Bradford, cousin Gabe Johnson, uncle Robert “Unk” Witmer and in-laws Robert and Gloria Turner and Melvin and Esther Schmidt.

Ryan L Johnson

April 20, 1981 - August 28, 2016