Gerald Joseph Johnson Sr.

Our father, Gerald Joseph Johnson, Sr. “Jerry”, left his family home in Salem, Oregon for the last time on December 5, 2023, at the age of 88, with his two sons and two daughters by his side. Dad was the provider for his family. His strength and loyalty never wavered. He could build anything, grow anything, and repair anything. He was a master woodworker, creating beautiful furniture for his family up to his final days. Dad was born in Seattle, Washington on October 23, 1935, one of seven children. He married his lifelong love, Mary Shannon Ritter, on November 27, 1954. They began their married life in Anchorage, Alaska, where he served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Soon after the birth of their second son they decided against reenlisting and moved to Oregon. In 1966, now with five little ones, Dad began building the family home on bare acreage in West Salem where his love of trees and gardens created a home of beauty and a soul of its own. Together they raised seven children and welcomed fourteen grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, numerous god children, extended family and good friends. If mom was the heart and soul of the home, dad was the foundation it was built on. He was our rock.

Our parents celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary before mom passed at home in 2021, but due to covid we were unable to hold a funeral for her. It was dad’s wish for a shared celebration. A rosary and funeral mass will be held at St. Edward Catholic Church in Keizer, on Friday, January 5, 2023, beginning at 1:30 p.m. A reception will follow. The family would like to recognize Willamette Vital Health Hospice for their care and friendship to Dad during the last year of his life. Please consider a gift donation to this important service.