Tony Johnson

Tony Johnson was a creative, artistic young man, who loved to draw and express himself. He was a fun-loving young man, who found so much enjoyment in the world around him. Tony was a loving son, brother and friend to many, a young man with dreams of a bright future. He was taken from us too soon, but his memory lives on in all who knew him.

Tony's story began on a warm spring Sunday in 1984, in the bustling Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas. Those were times of great change in this country, as the Cold War began to thaw after so many years of tension. The Space Shuttle captivated Americans' hearts, as the personal computer began captivating our minds. On April 22, 1984, a warm, sunny Easter Sunday in Irving, Keith Johnson and Colette Christmas celebrated the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Tony.

Tony grew up in the Dallas area, together with his brothers and sisters, and his creativity was apparent from an early age. He loved to draw as a boy, and even created his own comic books, full of fantastic characters and stories, with a natural gift for illustration.

Tony was also a born entertainer, and loved to perform many impressions of famous people, especially the thick Austrian accent of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other actors, too. He and his mother enjoyed putting on funny skits for their family and friends. Tony was a natural, and dreamt of one day becoming an actor and director.

When he was a teenager, Tony and his mother left Texas, moving north to the sandy shores of Holland, Michigan, in 2000. Tony began attending Holland High School, and while the transition to a new place wasn't an easy one, Tony took it in stride, always interested in seeing new places. He loved to travel, and to experience new adventures.

In Holland Tony found a new hobby, fishing, and also found a job he enjoyed, as a cook at Goog's Pub & Grub. He enjoyed cooking, and Goog's was a fun place to work, a sports-themed restaurant famous for its peanut butter-topped burger. After work he enjoyed hanging out with friends and listening to music - Tony especially loved music. He enjoyed all kinds of classic rock, from the Rolling Stones, to the Beatles and Pink Floyd, as well as newer bands like Staind and Maroon 5.

Sadly, Tony died on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, in Holland at the age of 23.

Tony was such a creative, expressive young man, a fun-loving person who enjoyed the world around him. He was a loving son, brother and friend to many, with hopes and dreams for his future. He was sadly taken from us too soon, but his memory, and his love, lives on in all who knew him. He will be greatly missed.

His family includes his mother, Colette Christmas of Holland, and father, Keith Johnson of Texas; brothers and sisters Paul Christmas, Ryan Yee, Nicole Johnson, Nathan Johnson, Zachary Johnson, all of Texas; grandmother Janet and Sandy Turner of Texas, grandmother Margie Young of Texas; several uncles, aunts, cousins, and a nephew. Services will be 2 pm Tuesday at The Mulder Chapel Dykstra Life Story Funeral Home, 188 West 32nd Street, Holland, MI. Visiting will be from 1-2 pm the hour before the service on Tuesday. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com for further information, to share a memory or photo of Tony, or to sign the online guestbook.