Lawrence L. Johnson

Larry (Lawrence) Johnson, was born to Kenneth and Bernice Johnson, September 6,1946; he passed with family at his side on November 25, 2023.

He grew up in South Milwaukee and called Cudahy his home for many years with his former wife (and recent partner in crime), Marilyn Gillingham and his four children, Kevin (Kim) Johnson, Michelle (Jeff Blaha) Johnson, Melissa (Dave) Sumwalt, and Tim (Marie Martin) Johnson. Family meant the world to him, including his grandchildren: Cassy (Ben) Cortina, Jake (Rebecca Jankowski) Trawicki, Amanda Johnson, Alexandria Johnson, Parker Sumwalt, Eli Trawicki, Griffin Johnson, Bella Sumwalt, Molly Johnson, Ava Johnson, and great-grandson, Jackson Trawicki. All who knew him knew that he would drop anything and everything to make sure his family was well taken care of, Larry knew the secrets to happiness - “Good food and lots of laughs.” Nothing made him happier than seeing everyone he loved enjoy this mantra.

Larry proudly served in the Air National Guard from 1965-1971. He then worked as a machinist at Cooper Power Systems until he retired in 2004. He was proud of the work he did and especially enjoyed the lasting friendships he made. Following his retirement from Cooper, Larry fled Wisconsin winters for sunny Brooksville, Florida. There he enjoyed the company of his late brother, Wayne, and his wife Diane. It was there that Larry truly shined with the sun. He enjoyed family visits and made sure they were submerged in all of the sunshine and beauty that Florida had to offer.

Larry comes from a large, vibrant family, including siblings: late Wayne (Diane) Johnson, Don (Barb) Johnson, Jane (Brad) Vogl, Greg (Laurie) Johnson, Nancy (Ric) Montpas, Laurie (Paul) Wittwer, Denise (Jim) Tomasek, Jay (Laura) Johnson, Kay (Doug) Baumgartner, and the late Joel Johnson. He truly treasured each and every one of them. Not a day passed without him “yapping” with at least one of his siblings.

Visitation will begin at 9:30 am on Friday, December 15th at Divine Mercy Parish Catholic Church, 800 Marquette Avenue, South Milwaukee. Service will be held at 11am. Please come casual, as we know he would prefer you to be comfortable. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Ronald McDonald House Charities: ”RMHC Eastern WI Attn: Liz Lippert, 8948 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226 or St Jude’s: Providence St. Jude Memorial Foundation -100 W. Valencia Mesa Drive, Suite 205, Fullerton, CA 92835.

We would like to extend a special thank you to his incredible care team at Froedtert’s Center for Advanced Care - he appreciated how hard you all worked. Classic Larry, he cared more about your wellbeing than he did about how he truly was feeling. Thank you.