Arthur Johnson

Arthur Jackson Johnson

Arthur Jackson Johnson, beloved husband, grandfather, great grandfather and great adventurer passed away on June 28, 2021, in Ogden Utah at the George Whalen Veteran’s Home. He was 92. Arthur was born on October 12, 1928 in Salt Lake City, UT.

His father passed away before Arthur was born and his mother was unable to support him as it was the beginning of the Depression.  He was adopted when he was one year old by Arvid and Sophia Johnson, immigrants from Finland, who did not have any children of their own.  He grew up on a small ranch outside of Milford, Utah where Arthur became an avid adventurer—a characteristic that would follow him throughout his life.

Arthur’s closest neighbors were about three miles away, and he grew up alone without brothers, sisters or playmates, living the pioneer life without electricity, plumbing, or other conveniences.  Speaking only broken English, Arthur entered the first grade as the youngest person in his class. Growing up in Milford was a choice experience for Arthur. He excelled in sports, academics, drama and graduated as Valedictorian. He was also a great outdoorsman, avid archer, fisherman, hunter, and a lover of animals, horses, and outdoor life.  He would compete in tournaments with some of the best archers in the world.

Work strengthened his character.  Working in the Milford Valley Creamery, delivering groceries, hauling coal, crew calling for the Union Pacific, and icing cars for the Pacific Freight Express kept him busy.  He learned to fly at the Milford airport before he joined the Air Force in September of 1946. He joined the Air Force at age 17 and excelled in electronics. In the Air Force, he was trained as a weather-radar electronic equipment specialist and was assigned to the Caribbean Air Command at Panama CZ. He became a traveling technician, repairing equipment and troubleshooting problems in the many remote weather detachments that the U.S. Air Force operated in North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and the West Indies as well as other Air Force initiatives. He also oversaw the weather testing for the Nevada nuclear tests in the early 1950’s.  Arthur’s keen diagnostic abilities enabled him to troubleshoot and fix almost any problem, and he lived the old motto of ‘fix it up and make it do or do without.”

He was sent by the State Department to Peru to relocate weather equipment to Lima and to instruct Peruvian Air Force Personnel in maintenance and operations. In December of 1949 he was the first 49th Air Force personnel assigned to the Florida East Coast, below Cape Canaveral to begin to prepare support operations for the launching of rocket fueled missiles that would later become the Eastern Test Range, and the site for the Apollo moon missions.

After his honorable discharge from the USAF in September of 1953, he attended the University of Utah and was later employed as an electronic training equipment and simulator repair technician at Hill Air Force Base and supervised depot level maintenance of aircraft flight, bombing, navigation, and missile simulator detachments in California, Texas, Mississippi and Indiana.  He was later assigned to perform early analysis at the Ogden Depot and Airforce Logistics’ Centers.  In 1970 he worked with the Utah State Governor’s Office and congressional representatives to promote a future space port in Western Utah.

At the pinnacle of his civil service career, he became instrumental in the development of the Utah Test Range with plans and programming for many Air Force long-range tactical systems.  He received several service awards, including the Civil Service Meritorious Award for his work the West Utah Test and Training Range.  Upon his retirement from civil service, he worked for Deseret Management Corporation.

While still on active duty, Arthur married Bonnie Jane Lund also of Milford, Utah on June 13, 1953.  Art and Bonnie happily celebrated their 68th Anniversary together.  From this union came six children who loved their parents.  Arthur and Bonnie settled in the Layton/Kaysville area which became their home for the next 65 years.

Being convinced of the truthfulness of the restored gospel as a young father, Arthur joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and stayed true to his testimony of Christ. He served in many positions in the Church but treasured most his leadership and association with the boy scouts and young men, upon whom he had a great influence for good. Following retirement, Arthur and Bonnie served a Church proselyting mission to Costa Rica where they truly came to love the people. Afterwards, they served as ordinance workers in the Bountiful Temple, which experience they cherished for many years.  They also served as guides at the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple Visitor’s Center.

Arthur is survived by his wife Bonnie who was his greatest love; six children: Deborah (Ed), Diana, Robert (Dianne), Michael (Shelly), Alecia (Tony), and Stacie; 17 grandchildren; and 19 great grandchildren.  His love of nature and sense of adventure will live on in his family for generations.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary. 1867 No. Fairfield Rd., Layton, Utah.  Friends may visit with family Tuesday July 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary.

Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery

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