Wayne Johnson
Wayne B. Johnson, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away on Friday, June 20, 2025. Many of his family members were with him as he passed away peacefully.
Wayne was born March 4, 1939 in Provo, Utah. He was the son of Max K. and Fern Bray Johnson, the second of three children. In his earliest years he and his family lived and worked on a farm in Carterville, along the Provo River near the mouth of the canyon.
Wayne was later raised in Provo, and graduated from Provo High School in 1957. He was a successful competitive boxer during and after high school. In March of 1958, he met the love of his life, Elaine Killpack, in her senior year of high school. They were married on March 5, 1959 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They shared a wonderful marriage together on earth for 62 years.
Wayne was a kind, hard-working, straight forward, dedicated man who enjoyed working very hard and helping other people without expecting anything in return. He cared deeply for his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, spending many hours of quality time teaching life lessons sharing funny tales of the many adventures of his youth. He enjoyed the great outdoors, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, gardening, and assisting in the community as he was able. Hunting deer on Mt. Timpanogos was one of his beloved pastimes, as was fishing on Strawberry and Deer Creek reservoirs, as well as numerous other lakes and rivers. Wayne was very handy and often completed various odd jobs for neighbors and friends out of kindness, or sometimes in exchange for help mowing and baling his hay or tending to his animals. He was also a great horse and dog lover all of his life. He enjoyed traveling to various parts of the world, spending time in the mountains and near the ocean.
Wayne worked hard at everything he did, and he never quit. During and after high school he worked at the Hi-Spot Drive-in, working his way into management positions. He later pursued a trade as an electrician and spent many weeknights, after working his day job, studying at Utah Technical College, completing his electrician apprentice program. He went on to become a master electrician and worked for nearly 20 years at Geneva Steel. While working for Hercules Powder Company, Wayne became a very proud member of the Oil Chemical and Atomic Workers Union and took honor and great pride in standing for equity and fairness for all workers rights. He was elected president of the OCAW Union and served his members diligently for several years, and he continued working, learning, and developing with many great projects such as Patriot Missiles and many other explosives and technologies that have greatly impacted this great nation, which he was very dedicated to and proud of.
Wayne served in numerous callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his lifetime. He served as the Bishop of the Lindon 3rd Ward from 1976 to 1980. He provided great support to the ward, the stake, and also later served at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. He served as the Agent Bishop responsible for the construction of the Lindon 3rd & 4th Ward Chapel on Center Street and 700 East, which was dedicated in April 1980. Another highlight as Bishop was when he and Elaine led a trip to Oahu, Hawaii with over forty young women. Whether serving in his church callings or in everyday life, Wayne always especially looked out for those people that needed some extra help.
Wayne was elected to the Lindon City Council in 1973. During his tenure he had a great impact on the city master plan, wells and water systems and helping with the plans of the city for current and future. He also orchestrated the Lindon City Days, bringing new activities and opportunities to the town’s celebration that had not been experienced previously.
Wayne is survived by his six children: Corinne Peacock (Bart), Lehi, UT; Michael “Scott” Johnson (Jenn), Florence, OR; Kevin Johnson (Annette), Lakewood, IL; Matthew Johnson (Staci), Cedar Hills, UT; Cody Johnson, Lindon, UT, and Jennifer Miller (Josh), Midvale, UT. He has 18 grandchildren: Ashley, Kirby, Crystal, Wade, Natalie, Cierra, Tayler, Jordon, Kelsie, Hannah, Cambria, Nolan, Chloe, Carson, Aidan, Mykel, Arielle, and Indiana. He also has 25 great-grandchildren: McKenna, Oakley, KJ, Charley, Shaylie, Briggs, Hudson, Reed, Ruby, Maddix, Wrenley, Kyla, Sammi, Sawyer, Carson, Scotty, Cal, Ruthie, Teddy, Makenzie, Addison, Mason, Eli, Sage, and Marley. He is also survived by his brother, Ron Johnson. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Max and Fern Johnson, his sweetheart Elaine Killpack Johnson, his sister Joy Cutler, and his granddaughter, Crystal Peacock.
A graveside service will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at the Lindon City Cemetery, 600 North 200 East, Lindon, UT. Family, friends, and neighbors are invited.
Our family would like to thank all of Wayne’s family, neighbors, friends, ward members, and care facility workers for their love and caring support, especially over the past nearly four years since his sweetheart, Elaine, passed away. We would also like to thank the excellent caregivers who assisted him compassionately and professionally in his last days.