Richard Johnson

Madison - Richard Allan Johnson, 91 years old, passed away peacefully on June 14, 2021, at UW Hospital, in Madison, WI.

He was born November 6, 1929 in Detroit Lakes, MN, the son of Edwin Nathanial and Emma Marie (Slaata) Johnson. He grew up outside of town, the youngest of three children. He started flying small private planes at the age of 16, a hobby that sustained him for the next 50+ years. After attending Carleton College for three years, he transferred to the Illinois Institute of Technology to complete his Bachelor’s Degree in 1954. He then served in the US army from 1954-1956 and was stationed in Alaska. In 1958, he completed a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design at Southern Illinois State University, where he met his future wife, Rachel (Barbour) and mother of his four children.

Allan worked as an industrial designer for a variety of companies and with a number of creative individuals, the most notable of whom was Buckminster Fuller and his geodesic dome project. He went on to work for Rohm and Haas in PA, Monsanto in St. Louis and Alton Box Board in IL. In 1973, he switched gears and became a stay-at-home Dad. He and Rachel moved their family to Minneapolis, then to the Milwaukee area, where he became one of the first owners of an Apple home computer. Allan and Rachel divorced in 1985 and Allan began working for Waddell and Reed as a financial advisor. In 1987 he married the second love of his life, Nancy Murray Tabor, whose two sons brought him much delight.

Allan was a devoted Unitarian Universalist for most of his adult life and sang baritone in the choir, most recently at Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield. As a young man, he played a mean ukulele and regaled his children with old songs that will never be forgotten. He was an avid outdoorsman; he enjoyed camping, kayaking, sailing, hiking and bicycling, as well as his favorite sport, flying. He had a marvelous sense of humor, and his love of puns and word play is carried on by his devoted children and stepchildren. A true “Renaissance Man”, he was a skilled artist, writer, carpenter, car mechanic, inventor, storyteller, and board game lover. He loved the various dogs (Abraham, Dandy, Bucky and Mocha) that were integral to his life. He was an unapologetic liberal to the end and thrived on public television and radio.

He is survived by his four children: Kirsten Johnson, Robin Bradford, Eric Johnson and Megan Johnson (Ben Niekerk); his grandchildren, Torsten Johnson (Kylee Brinkman), Gareth Collins and Lily Niekerk; his sister, Elizabeth Eyestone; his first wife, Rachel (Barbour) Pavlic; his stepsons, David Lynch and Scott Lynch (Kathleen) and their children, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Edwin Johnson and his second wife, Nancy Tabor.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Allan’s first alma mater, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057 or to UUCW (see address below)

A celebration of life will be held at UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH, West, 13001 W. North Ave, Brookfield, WI, 53005 on Saturday, November 20th, 2021 at 2 pm.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3325 E. Washington Ave.

Madison (608) 249-6666