Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson -- beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend -- passed to his eternal home.  A life-long lover of Jesus and servant of the King, Bruce’s life was marked by genuine gratitude, selfless service, untiring enthusiasm, and deep and abiding joy.

Born in Evanston, IL to parents Robert Johnson and Mary Garfield Johnson, Bruce was situated between older sister, Meredith, and younger sister, Leslie. His formative years were spent in Kankakee, IL where even as a teenager he was the sought-out playmate of all the younger neighborhood kids, foreshadowing a sense of fun that remained undiminished through his life. Bruce spent childhood summers at Honey Rock Camp in Wisconsin’s North Woods, instilling in him a delight in God’s creation that would become a hallmark of his life.

At ten years old, a family road trip launched Bruce’s lifelong love affair with Colorado. As a college student at Wheaton College, he regularly drove from Illinois to Colorado just to get in a weekend of skiing. After graduation, Bruce packed everything he owned in his maroon Camaro (leaving behind a closetful of suits and ties: “Mom, the one thing I will never do is have a job where I sit behind a desk.”) and moved to the mountains. 1972 Breckenridge with its single-paved street, plank sidewalks, frontier feel and incredible blue bird powder days, was the perfect place for a mid-western young man with a heart born for the mountains. Bruce soon took a job at Rec Sports, a hub for the growing recreation culture of Breck. During his time as a manager at Rec Sports, he hired a young woman named Linda Johnson from Ann Arbor, Michigan. With the same love for God and a similar adventuresome spirit, Linda was Bruce’s perfect pair. They were married in 1975.

As Summit County grew in the late 70s and early 80s, Bruce found out that sometimes mothers do know best. Putting on a suit and tie, he ordered up the desk he’d declared he’d never sit behind. In 1979, he opened a State Farm Agency, the only one in Summit County.  With Bruce’s attention to detail, quick mind, care for people, and sociability, he found a career at which he excelled. From 1979 until his death, Bruce worked with State Farm, taking stints as both an agent and a manager. Through State Farm, he touched innumerable people’s lives with his signature blend of professionalism and personal care.

Bruce and Linda were joined by son, Todd, in 1980, and daughter Betsy, in 1983. With a growing family, they relocated to Denver, taking their love for the mountains with them. A proud and devoted father, Bruce guided his children to a deep love for the things that moved his own heart: love for Jesus, service to the world, and delight in God’s creation.

Church involvement comprised a large part of Bruce’s life and service. From being a founding member of Breckenridge Christian Ministries to his service as a small group leader at Corona Church, from serving on the Young Life committee for Denver to becoming a founder and elder at Celebration Community Church, Bruce was committed to sharing Jesus’ love for the world and doing Kingdom work. Generous, joyful, committed, caring, determined, Bruce’s life was one of steady faith marked by the sure and certain knowledge that, as a beloved child of God, he was held in life and in death by his Creator. Indeed, this faith sustained him even as his battle with Covid-19 mounted. One of the final texts he sent was Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord is with me. He is mighty to save. He takes great delight in me. He will quiet me with His love and He rejoices over me with singing.

We have faith that indeed his Creator rejoices over him now in heaven, just as we miss him here on earth. Beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, you are missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations honoring Bruce’s memory can be made to the National Christian Foundation’s Bruce Johnson Memorial Giving Fund. Donations will be split between several Christian ministries that Bruce supported.

https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0U0H00000b2BFjUAM

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, June 24th, 2021 at 10:00am

Denver First Church (Formerly First Church of the Nazarene)

3800 E Hampden Ave

Englewood, CO

80113

Please use the west entrance