It was twenty-two years ago on a beautiful day in Yellowstone National Park, that a boy of only 19 years sat on the rock bed of a river, skipping rocks.  As he sat enjoying the crisp air and the gentle rolling of water over the larger boulders, he reflected on his short life thus far.  He said that as we travel in life, we create ripples; ripples that affect the ones we love, and the people we meet.  The ripple that we make creates an impression on that person.  It could be positive, or negative; but either way, that impression, that ripple, continues to radiate out from memories.  And it was there that he decided he wanted to make positive ripples, that he wanted to make sure every ripple he made would make a positive impact on someone else. 

As with ripples, they do eventually come to an end.  Some ripples will beckon on for a long time, and others are cut short by another disturbance in the water. The life of my husband, Anthony Johnson was suddenly cut short on June 29, 2022 at the young age of 41.  And now, I sit in the dark and reflect on what he told me so long ago. I am reminded of those ripples he’s made; each one impacting another person in various ways.  For me, one of the first impacts he had on my life was telling me this thought so long ago.  As a 19-year-old, it felt profound as he told me his thoughts on the way we each impact one another; and I have felt that conversation every day since that moment.  Now, I get to tell his story the best way I can so that he can live on in those memories.

Anthony was born in Wheatland, Wyoming to his father, Eldon Johnson and mother Karen (Sutherland) Johnson.  Known as Tony to friends, he grew up in Torrington, Wyoming where he learned hard work ethic, determination, and grit.  His mother passed early in his life and left a lasting mark on his character.  He was determined to excel at everything he did.  He earned trophies for the work he did in swimming and karate.  He became junior deacon in DeMolay and dreamed of becoming a lawyer as he left high school.  He moved to Casper, Wyoming and started college and changed his dream to business administration with a longing to make an impact in the way businesses treat employees.

Tony found himself moving to Laramie, Wyoming where he attended the University of Wyoming majoring in business administration; and met his future wife along the way.  It was a struggle at first and it seemed that every time he got his feet on the ground, another thing would knock him down again.  That’s when his afore mentioned trip to Yellowstone made all the difference in his world.  He found his peace by the river and pulled out his grit and resurfaced stronger and better than before.  Anthony graduated the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a minor in Business Ethics.

Anthony relocated to Las Vegas, NV in 2004, and began his career in business management.  And, once again, there were many struggles and challenges.  A career change to the mortgage industry right as the market crashed left him unsure how his future may lie. He found himself, once again, turning to the wild and going on adventures to find his way.  He found comfort in his backpacking adventures to Zion, Joshua Tree, the Sequoia National Park.  And in his 52-mile journey along the Pacific Crest trail in the Redwoods, he once again found his peace on a riverbed.  He missed the rivers of the Rocky Mountains and he started to make his move to relocate to Colorado.

Anthony made his move to Fort Collins, Colorado in 2011.  He began a career with Elevations Credit Union in 2014 as a Loan Officer’s Assistant. After working for the big banks, he was so happy to work for a place where he felt he had a work family.  Anthony finally felt truly at home and discovered a love for brewing beer, earning blue ribbons for three of his creations.  He started a family with his wife and continued their adventures of camping, biking, horseback riding, archery, and golfing.  Anthony was a doting father who often took his children on ‘daddy dates’ and made sure to spend as much time as he could with his two children.  He fashioned art nights with them, tickle wars, and glow parties.  He read them books every night until they could read, and then they began to read to him.  

Despite a dire diagnosis from doctors in April of 2022, he remained hopeful and positive, and tried his best to battle the darkness.  He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Johnson, his children Avery and Espen, his brother Curtis Johnson, his sister Elizabeth Johnson, nephew Nathan, nieces Kelli & Lyric, his mother & father-in-law Cyndi and Scott Stevenson, and his brother-in-law’s Tim Stevenson and Chris Stevenson, and Niece Skye Stevenson.   He was preceded in death by his mother Karen (Sutherland) Johnson, and his father Eldon Johnson.

The ripples that Tony made will now linger on, as the effects he had on others will still be felt. As long as those who felt the ripples made by Tony can tell their stories and memories of him, his memory will live on.  The ripples made as he passed through our lives will continue to grow and touch others through us; because in many ways, his ripples affected the way we live our lives, the way we feel, and the way we think. He is not dead, so long as we remember.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held August 5th, 2022 at the Gateway Natural Area along the Poudre River near Fort Collins. A memorial account has been set up as the ‘Anthony Johnson Memorial Account’ at Elevations Credit Union or a gofundme has been set up at https://gofundme/08a966b0.  If you would like to do something in honor of Anthony, the family asks that you simply plant a tree.  Because it was his belief that one kind act can ripple across the world, and trees can create so much positive impact on the world around us and create so many positive ripples on their own.