Ronald L. Johnson

Ronald L. Johnson, age 73, of Berlin, was called home by our Lord on October 13, 2020 surrounded by the love of his family. He was born February 11, 1947 in Berlin, Wisconsin to Lester and Lorraine Johnson. Ron was a 1965 graduate of Berlin High School. During his life, he was employed at Berlin Texaco, Mercury Marine, Hess Auto Body and Aurora Farms for over 25 years. Most recently, he spent his days enjoying retirement. He was married to his soulmate, Karen Crimmings on January 30, 1971, in Marinette, Michigan and they enjoyed 46 years of marriage. She was his heart and there was no greater love story than theirs. He was a smart man and could fix just about any machine around. Ron was a talented mechanic and was extremely knowledgeable about how things worked. He spent many hours in his shed, especially with his neighbor and best friend, Terry and was proud of the designs, machinery, and inventions that came out of there. Ronnie loved muscle cars and Ford Trucks. In fact, he restored his own ‘67 GTO. He and Karen, along with their close friends, Emil and Barb Burmeister attended many NASCAR races around the country. Here, many dear friends were made, alcoholic beverages were consumed, and a ton of memories were created. Ronnie may have come across as intimidating if you didn’t know him. If you did, you thought of him more as a gruff teddy bear. He enjoyed spending time down at the shack with his hunting buddies where many outrageous stories were told, and many laughs were had by all. He also enjoyed being a part of the Aurora Snow Blazers – his station on the grill at the fisheree was an annual event. Ronnie was a character. He had a ton of friends and they all loved to give each other a hard time. He could tell you hours of stories that would make your mouth fall open, laugh uncontrollably, or shake your head in awe. He loved the outdoors, his apple trees, and his grizzly bear. He had a special place in his heart for his deceased dog, Odie and adored his grand-dog, Ginger. He found great joy in all the birds and animals he was blessed with on his much-loved property as well. Oftentimes, he could be seen cruising around enjoying the view from his lawn mower. Ron had one beloved daughter, Valerie and son-in-law, Randy, both of which he was very proud of, and two treasured grandsons, Griffen and Grayson. He also had three sisters, Luanne, Candy, Melanie who he was very close to and loved very much. Ron is survived by daughter Valerie (Randy) Whiteaker; Luanne Johnson, Candy (Fritz) Joram, Melanie (Peter) Arthurs; grandsons, Griffen and Grayson Whiteaker; brother-in-law, Jack (Debbie) Crimmings; sister-in-law Judy Jodarski; best friend, Terry Roxbury; and many friends and relatives. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Lorraine Johnson; parents-in-law, George and Jessie Crimmings; niece, Erin Arthurs; and many special friends and relatives whose life he touched. At the end, with a smile on his face, he told us, he had a good life and if God wanted him, he was ready. Give mom a big hug and a kiss for us, Daddy! Special thanks to the caring staff of ThedaCare Hospice and his aides, as well as his friend, Joni who took such good care of him since the loss of his wife. To celebrate his life but also maintain social distancing, a drive-thru visitation will be held at Ronnie’s house in Berlin on Saturday, October 24th from 1pm to 3pm. The house is located at N 1284 County Road XX, Berlin. The family strongly encourages following CDC guidelines by remaining in the car while making the loop in the driveway. Please be sure to enjoy a tribute video dedicated to Ron on the funeral hone website, www.wieckiskipchakfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to New Pawsabilities in Oshkosh as Ron was an avid dog lover.