Obituary of Gary Alden Johnson

Gary Alden Johnson Gary Alden Johnson of Nanticoke, NY stepped off the porch and walked into the house of Heaven on November 10, 2014, following a sudden diagnosis of leukemia. He was 71 years old when Christ called his name and welcomed him in. Gary was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania on June 8, 1943, to Decker and Ann Johnson. He spent his childhood exploring forests and streams while toting his trusty BB gun, its stock notched to mark his daring exploits. Throughout his life, he fostered fond memories of his Pennsylvania roots. In early adulthood, Gary increasingly believed that God was the heart of the world around him, and that to be like Christ was the one goal worth pursuing. God brought a companion who shared this desire, and Gary married Nancy (née Manwaring) on December 19, 1970 after a whirlwind romance. While attending seminary, Gary worked nights as a hospital security guard, which led to his encounter with the world's most beautiful RN. Nancy accepted his offer of marriage on their first date, and they loved one another faithfully for the next 44 years, through trials and joys alike. God blessed their marriage with 4 sons and 3 daughters, a number which grew gloriously to 12 grandsons and 13 granddaughters, with more to come. In the lively and chaotic days of nurturing a family, Gary regaled his children with golden-day tales of 50s soda shops, the Lone Ranger, and 15-cent hamburgers. During this time he also worked for the Broome County Health Dept. as a registered nurse, a job that would last until his retirement in 2007. While he gladly would have surrendered the paperwork, he truly enjoyed this time of knowing and caring for his patients. Gary's greatest interest in life was people, and he used his great gift of conversation to connect with those around him, whether well-known friends or chance acquaintances. At home Gary could be found reading, having one-sided conversations with his nearly human hound dog, Huck, exclaiming over fall colors or other faces of nature that struck his fancy, contemplating the complexities of life, traversing the hills of Nanticoke in his trusty jalopy to "monitor the neighborhood," or finding ingenious ways to temporarily avoid herculean-seeming tasks like gathering the winter's wood or cutting hay. Gary is survived by his wife, Nancy, their 7 children, Andrew, Rebecca, Peter, Abigail, Luke, Joel, and Deborah, his children-in-law Wendy, Elias, Sarah, John, and Jae Ryong, and 25 beautiful grandchildren. He is also survived by 2 dear sisters, Joyce and Lorraine, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, in-laws, brothers and sisters of faith, and friends. He is predeceased by his parents, Decker and Ann, and by a nephew, Daniel Manwaring. Services to celebrate Gary's life will be held at Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home in Endicott, NY. Calling hours are from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 13. The memorial service, also held at Coleman & Daniels, is on Friday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. We look forward to our reunion with hope. Until we meet again.