John Michael Johnson, age 77, died after a lengthy bladder cancer illness on October 8, 2025, in Naples, Florida. John is preceded in death by his parents, John and Elner Johnson; his brother, Bill; and his aunt, Betty Johnson.
John is survived by his wife of 23 years, Meredith Johnson, of Naples, Florida; his son, Cody (Lynne), and his daughter, Molli, all of Raleigh, North Carolina; Stepchildren, Charles, Matthew (Hannah), and Jonathan (Coleen); Grandchildren, Brayden/Dylan, Maya and Donta, Alexander/Vivenne, and Kaleb.
John was born on January 19, 1948 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He graduated from William Kelley High School in 1966 after earning several athletic awards and continued his education at the University of Minnesota/Duluth. In 1971, he moved to Austin, Minnesota, and opened “Hard Times”. He worked as a car salesperson for 30 years in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He married Marie Chaffee Johnson in August of 1968 in Austin, Minnesota, and the couple had two children together. In August of 2002, John and Meredith married and raised her son, Jonathan McGuire, together in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, and Reno, Nevada. John and Meredith took advantage of every adventure life presented. Moss didn’t grow under their feet! John enjoyed spending time with friends and locating the very best restaurants to share with them. He loved every minute of posting recipes with those all over the country on his website http://www.renofoodnetwork.com. One of his favorite adventures was to hop a boat to Key West and spend several days exploring the island in a golf cart. He loved every minute of living in Southwest Florida. His family and friends will always remember his attachment to the North Shore and Silver Bay, Minnesota.
Funeral arrangements are pending. At some point in the future, when Meredith passes away, Meredith’s youngest son will scatter their ashes together into the Gulf of America. The Johnson family would like to thank Avow Health Care Services for the outstanding attentiveness they provided during the year John spent in Hospice Care.
