Lawrence Leo Johnson

Lawrence Leo Johnson of Livonia was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 3, 1928 and died on Monday, May 20, 2013. Beloved husband of Doris for 61 years, cherished father of Susan (George) Ontko, Sally (Ed Peterson) Johnson, and Amy Johnson, and dearest grandfather of Ryan Peterson, Erik Peterson, and Emily Ontko. Larry was preceded in death by his brother Tom and his sister Peggy Lindley. He is survived by his brother Jim and sister Hilda (Ed) Wheatley. Larry worked as a mechanical engineer for General Motors, retiring in 1987, and he was an active member of Newburg United Methodist Church for 52 years. He was also proud of his service in the Air National Guard, retiring as Major. Our father lived to help others. He never met a person he didn’t want to help, be it snow blowing the entire street, working as an Early Literacy Volunteer at several Livonia elementary schools where the children looked forward to reading to “Grandpa Larry”, serving on Livonia Youth Commission, or volunteering for Housing the Homeless at church. Dad’s strongest commitment was to the American Red Cross. He was proud to have coordinated more than 100 blood drives at Newburg UMC collecting thousands of pints of blood and saving countless lives. For his service to the community, Dad was honored as Livonia’s First Citizen in 2009. He will also be remembered for his love of music and storytelling. Dad sang in the church choir for many years but raised his voice in song whenever and wherever the spirit moved him. He loved to recite poetry and would visit senior centers to comfort the residents with familiar verses. While Alzheimer’s took its toll on his memory, he never lost his joy in simple pleasures and his love for others. He gave even in death by donating his body to the University of Michigan Medical School. A memorial service will be held at Newburg United Methodist Church, 36500 Ann Arbor Trail, on June 8th at 11:00 AM. Contributions in Larry’s memory can be made to the American Red Cross or Newburg United Methodist Church.