John Johnsen

On June 19th, 1952, the world was blessed with the most gentle, loving soul to walk this Earth.
Born to Lois and John Andrew Johnsen, Sr., John Johnsen, Jr., was a husband, father, brother, son, Papa and friend to so many.

Raised in Tiny Town, CO, John loved 4-H and rode his horse, Cassie everywhere. He enjoyed golf and photography; crafting beer and wine; and displaying his Christmas Villages every year. He liked Good & Plenty candy and collecting neck ties.

John was a Sheriff's Deputy for the Weld County Sheriff's Office from 1977 until 1991. He then became a UNC Police\Officer from 1991 until the end of 2002 when he was forced into a medical retirement. On December 21, 2001, John married the love of his life, Dawn and at the same time, became Nikki's father. John and Dawn enjoyed traveling, camping, fishing and just spending time together. John liked to play Sudoku and solve crosswords. He read the newspaper (the printed version) every day and he worked and volunteered at Blevins Middle School impacting so many students all these 14 years. On July 17, 2012, John's destiny was truly realized when he became "Papa" to Rory Andrew Lyons. Rory loved his Papa and looked to him with everything he did.

John is survived by his wife, Dawn; daughter, Nikki (Sean) and grandson, Rory Andrew Lyons; parents, Lois and John; sisters, Christie (Donald) Schaad, Terry (Randy Romanin and Elaine (Bill) Bills; along with so many other family members and friends who have become family… You will always be our Johnny.

John passed away unexpectedly on March 1, 2015 at home. For those who would like to celebrate John's life and the incredible person he was, a service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 7th at Timberline Church. The reception location will be announced after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made payable to the John Johnsen Memorial Fund at Security Service Federal Credit Union, 1025 E. Swallow Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525.