Stan Johnson

John Stanford “Stan” Johnson was born on February 29, 1948, in Huntsville, Alabama to Louise and Paul Johnson. After an arduous twelve-year battle with cancer, he passed away peacefully on October 26, 2020, surrounded by his loving family.

Stan is preceded in death by his parents, Louise and Paul Johnson, and his in-laws, June and Harvey Epstein. He is survived by his wife, Susan Epstein Johnson, his daughter Michelle Gillette, and her family Michael, Olivia and Ezra Gillette; his daughter Sarah Johnson, and her family, Stacey Bell, Emery and Eli Johnson-Bell; his brother Ben Johnson and sister-in-law Eugenia Johnson, and brother and sister-in-laws Ellen and Lewis Krinsky; nieces and nephews Amy Rener, Paul Johnson, Douglas Johnson, Lauren Chizner, Dorey Kappel, Lauren Johnson, and Chris Drover; and his numerous cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and friends that he held dear as family.

In Judaism, 18 is an auspicious number because numerically it represents the word “Chai”, which in Hebrew translates to the word “life”. It is fitting that Stan celebrated his 18th birthday this year, in Leap Years of course, because his life was truly a gift to all of his loved ones! He didn’t wait for things to happen, although he was known to have great patience when it came to investments. Rather, he created the life that he envisioned. He set goal after goal and often surpassed them. He took risks, made mistakes, learned from them, shared his enthusiasm and ambition, and embraced whatever life brought his way. All with his endearing crooked smile on his face.

After obtaining his Master’s of Business from Southern Methodist University, at 24 years of age, Stan married the love of his life: Susan Epstein Johnson. Their love never faltered or wavered, and for 48 years he kissed Susan goodnight and told her that he loved her, calling her his sunshine. While raising a young family, Stan and his parents built Johnson’s Real Estate from the ground up and went on to lay the groundwork for his future business endeavors with his brother Ben Johnson and his best friend Marshall Funk. His accolades would fill an entire page of the paper, but Stan’s most revered accomplishment was raising his daughters, Michelle and Sarah, who he treasured with every ounce of his being. His heart swelled with pride as he witnessed his daughters growing up, finishing college, marrying their spouses, having successful careers, and raising their own daughters and sons. He cherished his grandchildren, more than life itself, and Emery, Eli, Olivia, and Ezra will always remember Grandpa’s amazing hugs, adoring smile, and the many memories that they created together on family vacations and Sunday night dinners.

Stan was an avid golfer, pilot, fisherman, sailor, yachtsman, hunter, snow skier, scuba diver, businessman, philanthropist, traveler, and family man. His dying wish was that Susan, Michelle, and Sarah would continue to travel the world (in first class, of course!) and that his legacy would live on in Michelle and Sarah’s dreams for the future. He believed in them, and in so many whose lives were touched by him. Stan always lived life to the fullest and taught that family comes first, above all else. His memory will be a blessing for all who knew him, and all who loved him.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored if donations are made to the Emerson Foundation so that Emerson Academy can continue to expand programming to serve people with disabilities from birth to adulthood. The Emerson Foundation is raising funds to build an additional building, which will be named after Stan, that will house a vocational program for young adults with disabilities. Donations can be made online: https://www.emerson-academy.com  or by mail: 1 Valley View Dr. Round Rock, TX 78664.

If you would like to attend the service virtually, Please email jstanjohnsonfamily@gmail.com by Saturday 10/31/2020 at noon.