- Visitation
No Visitation
- Service
Committal Service:
Friday, March 20, 2015
10:30 am
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO
with full military honors.
- Full Obituary
Craig F. Johnson, 65, of St. Jacob, IL, died Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at John Cochran V A Hospital, St. Louis, MO.
Craig was born December 27, 1948, to Orville and Lucille (Nee Schaffer) Johnson. On August 27, 1977 he married Jay Hwang in Wheaton, MN.
Craig was drafted into the U S Army while he was in college. He served in Vietnam during 1969. Later he served in Korea where he met his wife in 1976. After their marriage, they were stationed in Germany for several years, where their daughters were born. He was a career Helicopter Pilot and later became an Instructor Pilot and Safety Officer. Craig finished his active duty service in 1984, and signed up for the reserves. In 1991 he started working for the then Defense Mapping Agency, now National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency retiring December 31, 2010.
He was a huge baseball fan, rarely missing a Cardinals game, and also becoming a big Grizzlies game attendee, after moving to Illinois. He was a devoted husband and father who was fun loving and sometimes goofy, sharing daily cartoons and quips with those he loved. He loved reading and movies, to drive, and to eat and loved to talk about the journey of it all.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Lucille Johnson; brother, Byron Johnson.
He is survived by his wife, Jay Johnson, St. Jacob, IL; daughters, Lisa M. (Steve) Kim, Chicago, IL, Kristall M. Johnson, St. Jacob, IL; granddaughter, Reagan S. Kim.
Unfortunately he was diagnosed with service related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in April 2011. He lived with it through the love and support of his family until finally succumbing to complications of ALS. He would be greatly honored by donations in his memory to the ALS foundation (alsa.org/donate) to help others who continue fighting the disease.
Committal Service: Friday, March 20, 2015, at 10:30 am at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO, with full military honors.
Meridith Funeral Home, Highland, IL.
