Steven William Johnson

Steven William Johnson was born on February 11, 1966, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, the second son and youngest of Bill and Sherry Johnson’s three children. Steve’s family moved several times in Ohio as Bill pursued a career in water treatment. After a summer vacation to Ft. De Soto, the family fell in love with Florida and Steve became an “adopted Floridian.”

Growing up in Florida was an adventure! Embracing their new home with a passion, Steve spent weekends and holidays on the beach, and camping throughout the state. The family became part of the Tampa First Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Steve enrolled at Tampa Junior Academy. It was here that he met some of his best and life-long friends.

At home, Steve’s parents were thrilled to buy property in what was then very rural Valrico and built their first home where Steve and brother David shared a room and many memories. Later as a teenager living in St. Petersburg with his folks the beach life called, and weeks were filled with dune buggies, sparkling water and sometimes school!

As many young folks do, he dove headfirst into all the possibilities of adulthood, and became the young father of two beautiful girls. Searching for the right career path, he decided to enter the same field as his dad – water treatment, where he remained for 31 years until his early retirement in 2019.

But even as all of these awesome things with family and career were happening in his life, he still talked of finding someone to settle down with. And then he met Jen, and it clicked. In 1998 they were married and started the relationship that lasted a lifetime.

In January 2002, Steve and Jen were ecstatic with the birth of their son Noah, and the family became four with the birth of Tara in November of 2005. Always the entrepreneur, Steve realized there was a need for (and money to be made in) stump grinding. He bought the equipment and with his brother developed a side-job idea into a the very successful business of Tampa Stump Grinding.

Life changed for Steve in 2011, when a he had a large basal cell tumor removed from his chest, and then again in early 2012 when it was discovered the cancer had moved to his lungs, and he received the rare diagnosis of Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma (MBCC).

At that time, MBCC was untreatable with a prognosis of only months, but a medical breakthrough happened at the same time, and Steve became “cutting edge” in his long and passionate fight against the disease. Going from trial to trial, across the country, Steve watched his children grow, and the family made memories.

The battle took its toll, and during the last ER visit and admission it was determined that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for Steve to go through the multiple planned procedures needed to get through the immediate future. At that point, he and Jen made the decision that it was time to go home. Steve spent his last week there, surrounded by family and friends that loved him, including having his four children and now a grandchild with him at his bedside.

Just before dawn on Sabbath, February 8, he fell asleep knowing he would see us all again.

He leaves behind a loving family: wife Jennifer Milks Johnson, son Noah and daughter Tara Johnson; daughter Brittany Johnson; daughter, son-in-law and grandson Courtney and Alex Bueno and Baby Alex; parents William and Sherry Johnson; siblings David Johnson and Julie and Ben Bacon; multiple nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.

Steve was all about making a difference. In lieu of flowers, please make a difference by donating to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at https://cnfl.wish.org/ways-to-help in his name.

Nothing made Steve happier than getting together with his family and friends; so please join us to share memories and laughter at his Celebration of Life.

March 22, 2020; Stonebridge Events Venue, 33520 Lange Farm Road, Dade City, FL 33525.

• 10:30am Coffee, Tea and Memories

• 11:00am Celebration Program

• Noon Family and Friends Brunch