Dean R. Johnson

It is with great sadness that the family of Dean Richard Johnson announces his passing after a brief illness, on Monday, November 26, 2018. He was 67. Dean was born in Flint, MI, to Bernard and Mildred (Nelson) Johnson on June 11, 1951. His parents and his son, Joseph Johnson, preceded him in death. Dean is survived by his wife Jill, son Ben (Sandy) Johnson and daughter Bethany (Louis) Thomas, granddaughter Norah Johnson and grandson Britt Johnson — all of Lakeland — along with brothers Bruce (Karlene) Johnson of Lapeer, MI, and Dale (Susan) Johnson of Anderson, SC. Dean came to know the Lord as a child and spent his life pointing other people to Jesus. He was passionately committed to serving the Lord. For more than 35 years, Dean has been a member of Heritage Baptist Church and faithfully served the Lord as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He traveled on numerous mission trips around the world. In addition, he served as a chapel leader in the minor-league baseball system, serving with both the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. Dean spent 41 years as a faculty member, administrator and coach at Lakeland Christian School. Dean loved the sport of soccer and coached at various levels since the late 70s. He coached the Lakeland Christian varsity soccer teams to six state championships, four state runner-up awards and 17 final four appearances. In addition to LCS, Dean coached with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and the Lakeland Futbol Club (now Lakeland Tropics). He was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. After retiring from full-time teaching in 2007, Dean pursued his love of AutoCAD and drafting and started his second career as a Design/Build Specialist for Green Construction Services. He was passionate about designing accessible homes for disabled veterans. Dean's family will receive friends in the Family Life Center at Heritage Baptist Church (4202 Pipkin Creek Road, Lakeland) from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, November 29. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. at Heritage Baptist Church, on Friday, November 30. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to one of Dean’s favorite non-profit organizations: Lakeland Christian School, Southeastern University, Leverage Ministries, Construction for Worldwide Evangelism (CWE), S3 Ministries, or Disabled American Veterans.

Dean R. Johnson

June 11, 1951 - November 26, 2018