Jeffrey Lake Johnson

Johnson, Mr. Jeffrey Lake Spring Lake, Michigan and Las Vegas, Nevada Jeffrey Lake Johnson, age 71, passed away at home on January 18, 2022. Jeff was born in Muskegon, Michigan on July 23, 1950 to Frank and Flora Johnson and grew up on Seminole Road with siblings, cousins, and neighborhood friends. He discovered his love of the outdoors by climbing trees, riding bikes, swimming in Mona Lake, exploring McGrady's woods, and working and playing on his grandfather's celery farm. Jeff was a member of the Mona Shores High School Class of 1968 and played the French horn in the school bands. He graduated from Alma College in 1972 and went on to the University of Michigan where he earned a Master's degree in music. He was in the United States Marine Corps Band before spending many years exploring the country while touring with Broadway shows like 42nd Street, Cats, and Les Miserables. When Jeff finished touring, he moved to Las Vegas becoming part of the music community there playing in shows like The Producers, Showstoppers, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, and behind superstars such as Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, and The Who. He also played with the Grand Rapids, Traverse City, West Michigan, and Nevada symphonies. Outside of music, Jeff's great loves were birding, running, and hiking. As an avid birder, he banded raptors in the wild as well as participated in surveys, counts, and other bird research projects at locations including Cape May, New Jersey, Monhegan Island in the Gulf of Maine, the deserts of Nevada and Utah, and a month in a fire tower in Yellowstone National Park. As a long-time, daily runner, Jeff competed in two marathons before proudly completing the Boston Marathon at age 50. After moving to Las Vegas, Red Rock National Conservation Area became his backyard. A place he knew like the back of his hand, he spent countless hours hiking and exploring Red Rock Canyon and sharing his love for the beauty of the landscape with friends and visitors. One of his greatest adventures was a hike and overnight stay at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Jeff was also a proud and generous uncle to both his sisters' children and to many children of his close friends. He relished the role, sharing wisdom, sending souvenirs, sharing stories of his extensive travels, and aiding and abetting the occasional mischief-making that only uncles can get away with. In January 2021, Jeff was diagnosed with ALS. He had an aggressive form of the disease which first and most dramatically impacted his respiratory function. He was very private about his diagnosis, characteristically choosing a path that did not involve pity or sympathy, but rather forging "onward through the fog," as he would say. Throughout the last year, Jeff was assisted and cared for by a circle of family, friends, and healthcare professionals in Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan, for which he was very grateful. In the company of family, he spent his last months fulfilling a lifelong dream to spend a winter on the shores of Lake Michigan. He enjoyed breathtaking and ever-changing views of the lake, ships coming in and out of the Grand Haven Channel, kite surfers, gale force storms, sunsets, and a lovely array of birds - all from his vantage point 50 yards from the beach in a cozy lake house rented for the off-season. Jeff was a loving and steadfast brother and uncle, a great friend, a man of strong political persuasions, a supporter of nature and the arts, and a connoisseur of language. His keen wit, great sense of humor, as well as his gentle and generous spirit will be sorely missed. SURVIVORS Jeff is survived by his siblings Jennifer Grow of Whitehall, Michigan; Timothy Johnson of Worcester, Massachusetts; and Amy (Jon) McEwen of Westborough, Massachusetts. Nieces and nephews Laura (Matt) Hayes of Cheyenne, Wyoming; David (Sheila) Grow of Wilton, Connecticut and their children; John Pascarella of Portland, Oregon; Madilyn Pascarella of Westborough, Massachusetts; and Katelyn Pascarella, also of Westborough. He was preceded in death by a brother Christopher Johnson and his parents. MEMORIAL There will be two memorial services: one in Muskegon, Michigan on March 19, 2022 at 11:00am at Clock Chapel, 1469 Peck Street, Muskegon, MI 49441. And one in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, April 8, 2022, 1:00 pm, Fellowship Hall, Community Lutheran Church, 3720 E. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89121. For those unable to attend in person, the Las Vegas service will be livestreamed. More information can be found at jeffjohnson.online-rsvp.com. Please consider a donation in Jeff's memory to Friends of Red Rock Canyon (www.friendsredrock.org) or the Susan Mast ALS Foundation - an organization dedicated to providing support to ALS patients, families, and caregivers living in West Michigan (www.susanmastals.org). Service Clock Chapel - Muskegon 1469 Peck Street Muskegon, MI 49441 11:00 AM Service Community Lutheran Church 3720 E. Tropicana Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89121 1:00 PM