Steven Johnson

Steven Albert Johnson lost his battle with an undiagnosed lung infection on November 7, 2015. Steve, Bert, or Chief depending on when you knew him was born on June 28, 1948 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Steve will tell you he was born in North Carolina, raised in Southern California and grew up in Vietnam. Steve served his country by enlisting in 1966, he served three tours in Vietnam and continued to serve until 1972. Once he returned to the U.S.A., he served the people of this great nation as a law enforcement professional, he has served in the Galveston County Sherriff’s Department, in the League City Police Department where he worked his way to Chief of Police, Chief of Police at Highland Village and as the Chief of Police at Rio Vista Police Department. He also worked in the private sector for a short period of time as an assistant hospital administrator but returned to his love, law enforcement. Steve was the grateful recipient of a heart transplant on December 18, 2009. The additional six years granted by the transplant gave him more time to spend with the love of his life, his wife of 38 years Sherrie.
He leaves behind Sherrie and their children Samantha Johnson, Jessica Wilson, Dianna Hoke Walker with her husband Brian and his son Keaton, and John Hoke with his wife Kimberly, son Dylan, and daughter Kyna, along with his brother Gene Johnson and his wife Vicki, his sister Glynn Hempel and her husband Fred, and their children Ricky, Trevor, and Ashley. The light of his life were his granddaughters Jayden and Jordyn Wilson, he was their best friend. He was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Juanita Johnson, his son Steven Wayne Johnson, and grandson Tristan, along with the numerous friends in service, with the Army Security Agency, the 265th Radio Research, 101st Airborne Division, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse) and officers on the streets of Texas that gave their lives while protecting ours.
The family will be eternally grateful to the donor family, the UT Southwestern Heart Transplant Team and the staff at William Clements University Hospital for their compassion and caring. Those interested in supporting their work may make donations in Steve’s name to: UT Southwestern Medical Center.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Crosier- Pearson Funeral Home in Cleburne, TX on Friday, November 13, 2015 at 2 pm in the afternoon.