Ralph Gunnard Johnson, known at work as Sarge, to his children as Dad and to his Grandchildren as Ralphie passed away February 20, 2019. His visitation will be at 10 AM and funeral service will be held at 11 AM at Salem Lutheran Church in Lenexa on Saturday, February 23, 2019 followed by interment at the Lenexa Cemetery.

Ralph was born near Royal Iowa on Feb 27, 1926 to Victor and Elin (Carlson) Johnson. A few years later the family moved to Pequot Lakes Minnesota where Ralph grew up in a close Swedish family with his sisters Pearl, Clara and Mary and his brother Paul. The family farmed, cut pulp wood and caught lots of fish on Upper Cullen Lake. He was drafted and served in the US Army during the Korean War as a drill sergeant. He was stationed at Camp Chaffee near Fort Smith Arkansas when he met his wife of 67 years, Wanda Gompf. When his time with Uncle Sam was over the couple moved to Kansas City where he found work at the GM Assembly Plant in Fairfax. In 1955 they were blessed with the birth of their first child Paula Jean and in 1958 Ronald Allen joined the family.  In 1956 Ralph transferred to the Delco Battery Plant in Olathe and the family moved to Lenexa Kansas in 1959 where their third child Gary Neal was born. Ralph and Wanda have remained Lenexa residents ever since.

Ralph was active in the community, especially with the Lutheran Church both at Salem Lutheran and Overland Park Lutheran where he was a long time Sunday School teacher. He was on the organizing committee for Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry, a source of great pride for him. He served as a union president with UAW Local 1021, helped organize the 1021 Credit Union and served as the manager there for many years. He was a member of the National Guard and later was in the Army Reserve where he served as a medic and nurse. Somehow in there he managed to do a little fishing and quail hunting, all while being a terrific husband and father. In recent years Ralph suffered from dementia but through it all retained his sunny disposition, telling stories and singing the songs he loved.

He is survived by his wife, Wanda, his children, Paula (Mike) Phillips, Ron (Joyce) Johnson and Gary Johnson, his grandchildren, Shawn (Erin) and Ryan (Sarah) Phillips, Austin (Sarah) and Marta Johnson, Mitchell (Melody) and Myah Johnson and their mother Francy Johnson, great grandchildren Dillon and Ethan Phillips and George Johnson, a sister Clara Nelson, sister-in-law Francis Wilbanks and brother-in-law Robert North.

In lieu of flowers please send memorials to Salem Lutheran Church of Lenexa or KC Hospice.