Thomas Frederick Johnson's Obituary
Thomas Frederick Johnson was born in Fort Gordon, Georgia on July 17, 1963 to Sammye Kathryn Morrison (Robert Brummond) and Thomas Gerald “Jerry” Johnson (Judy). Over the course of his life, he lived in Georgia, South and West Texas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Virginia, Maui, Hawaii, and the Puget Sound area of Washington State. In Thomas’ early years, he swam on the swim team in school (continuing to swim throughout his life). He enjoyed summer trips to the beach with his brother, Jeffrey Johnson, and other family. He enjoyed visiting his grandparents ranch outside Austin. Thomas attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, studying Design, Architecture, and Art History (which remained lifelong passions for him). In Lubbock, he started working in the restaurant and bar industry that would become his lifelong vocation and enjoyed skateboarding and spending time with his friends (friendships that would continue throughout his life). In the 1980’s, when mountain biking was first emerging, he was also a regular on the trails around his grandmother’s home in Austin. After college, he moved to Maui, Hawaii for a job with the Four Seasons Hotel and lived and worked there for many years. In addition to working in the hotel’s best restaurant, he continued his mountain biking in Maui, and enjoyed windsurfing, surfing, backpacking, and running marathons and triathlons. He also welcomed his first child, Moira. In 1996, he married the love of his life, Teena Johnson, in a chapel by the sea in Makena, Maui. Thomas was father or stepfather to four children – Tyler Johnson (his youngest), Moira Lindholm, Layne Collins (Patrick), and Madeline Sanders (Jacob) – and grandfather to three – Wyatt Collins, Jamsie Lindholm, and Tristan Collins. Thomas loved spending time with his wife and children and grandchildren, sharing with them his passion for the outdoors and outdoor activities (which included backpacking, climbing, mountain biking, camping, running, and skiing) and his love of fine dining (by teaching them to cook as he had learned from his grandmother and working with chefs in highly rated restaurants). He also shared his love of movies (mostly action, sci-fi, horror, and Japanese films) and music (lots of rock from various decades). Thomas had many friends and co-workers over the years and was known to be kind, supportive, fun to be with, good-natured, adventurous, and caring for others. He loved the outdoors and loved to share those activities with friends whenever he could – cycling, skiing/snowboarding, backpacking, climbing mountains, and running. He appreciated good design and function in outdoor gear and clothing and loved to research, shop for, and add them to his outdoor adventures when he could. He loved using social media to keep up with new and old friends, sharing information and photos about his rides and runs, and numerous other adventures. Thomas was an enthusiastic fan and vocal advocate throughout his lifetime for cycling and bike riding at all levels (from children’s biking to following the pro cycling tours). Until his death, Thomas still dreamed and talked of climbing Denali; cycling and bike camping across America; cycling in the Scottish Highlands and in Moab, Utah again; walking the Camino Frances in Spain with his wife; and hiking the full Pacific Crest Trail with Tyler. Thomas was loved by many and taken from us far too soon, killed while cycling on May 9, 2020, struck down by a car driven by an impaired hit-and-run driver. We will miss him dearly. Funeral services will be held by video at Mountain View Funeral Home, May 29, 2020 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to OnYourLeftFoundation.org.
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