Obituary: Jon Johnson

Published 12:15 am Friday, September 1, 2023

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Jon Johnson was born on July 23, 1942, at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria to Elinor Webber Johnson and Wallace (Bud) Johnson.

He is survived by his two sons, Joshua Johnson and J. Seth Johnson; their wives, Stefani and Ona; and four grandchildren, Judi, Dylan, Hattie and Pete. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judi Johnson, in March 1998.

Jon was an excellent father to his sons, husband to his wife and partner of 23 years to Jeanne Uzelac.

Jon grew up in Seaside and went to Seaside High School, where he was an avid athlete, participating in baseball and football. He was a member of state championship teams in both sports.

Following high school, Jon attended college for a short time before joining the U.S. National Guard.

He worked as a logger in the Seaside area, and initially headed up to Alaska to log and operate heavy equipment in 1967. During a trip back to Oregon in 1969, he met Judi in Portland. Shortly after, they headed up the Alcan Highway to Alaska.

They spent the next few decades in Seldovia. He made a living by commercial fishing in the Bering Sea and later, as the owner and operator of 4-J Construction. They raised their two sons, Josh and Seth, before moving back to Oregon.

After Judi’s passing, Jon eventually made it back to the farmhouse, his childhood home in Seaside. He met Jeanne and spent the next 23 years with her, enjoying each other’s company and partnership.

He was an avid Elks Lodge and American Legion member, and volunteered in various capacities. Jon also served as the Elks trustee for five years.

Jon and Jeanne were often out on the town in Seaside, down on the beach dancing to bands or enjoying time with friends (and poker machines), of whom there are many.

Jon was an excellent heavy equipment operator and artist, and worked on a number of projects in the Seaside area over the years. He kept working even after retirement and enjoyed working up to the last few weeks preceding his passing.

One of his many talents and hobbies was his love of wood craftsmanship. The wood boxes and trinkets he created have put smiles on many faces in our community.

His unique personality, sharp wit and his orneriness made him the special man we all knew and loved. He was a great man who lived his life to the fullest, and he was loved and will be missed by many.

A memorial at Evergreen Cemetery, and celebration of life at the Seaside Elks Lodge, were held on Aug. 29.

One of his many passions was supporting local youth events, and he was an advocate of the Hoop Shoot program. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Seaside Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot program.

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