Mern Dale Johnson returned to his Heavenly Father on February 14, 2023 at the age of 95.  He passed away surrounded by his wife, sons and family.  Always displaying quiet confidence, Dale was a beloved husband, brother, father, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather.  He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He always strived to exemplify the Savior as he showed charity to everyone he met.

For a man of relatively few words, he spoke volumes through his example.

Dale believed in living a joyful life.  He found joy through faith, family, hard work, food and play. He truly enjoyed life and worked particularly hard to help others enjoy life as well.  He was admired for his generosity and unconditional kindness.  He was respected for his hard work, dedication and church service.  He was deeply loved for his ability to make people feel important and loved.  He was a caring leader and teacher who was an expert at listening.  He loved BYU sports, barbecues, camping, his wife's smile when he came home from work and a backyard full of kids.  You knew life was great when he wore his big smile.

Dale was born on April 20, 1927 in Sutherland, Utah to Mary and Earl Johnson. Being raised on a small family farm, he learned how to work hard and he learned how to become skilled at many things.  He became very comfortable raising crops and livestock as well as operating farm equipment and heavy machinery.

From an early age, he immersed himself in academics, athletics, singing, student government, stage productions, band, and other school organizations. Dale joined the army when he was nineteen and served his country honorably until he was twenty-one.  His advanced typing skills were relied upon throughout his service.  He was then called on an LDS mission to the Northern States and eagerly served in Ohio and Wisconsin.  His first summer they were sent out in the country and traveled without purse or script as they spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Later, at the age of twenty-three, he enrolled at Brigham Young University and graduated four years later with an Animal Husbandry degree.

Dale really loved music and motorcycles. 

He developed a passion for music and played the piano, organ, trumpet, accordion and taught band and chorus in high school.  His skill at the accordion allowed him to teach, travel and even compete at the Utah State Fair.  He loved to share his passion and did so in dance bands in his early years and in impromptu accordion dance parties with his grandchildren.  He also loved to share the feeling of the wind in your face riding his motorcycle.  He would offer you a ride to the grocery store if that meant he could take his motorcycle.

At the age of 31, Dale met and married his sweetheart Lora Payne.  Sealed in the Salt Lake Temple they have spent the last 64 years creating a forever family.  He took great pride and comfort in their relationship and deeply valued the care she provided for their four boys.  Dale was not concerned with minor mischievousness his sons may have gotten into, but he did teach them the importance of hard work and developing talents.  He spent his career teaching school, primarily music, in McGill Nevada, Milford Utah and finally Pleasant Grove High School where he taught math, band and chorus. 

For Dale, retirement meant leaving his teaching career and enjoying a career as a truck driver.

When he retired a second time, he returned to truck driving, again.  Dale's travels let him explore most of the states in the United States.  Somewhere between the second and third retirement, Dale and Lora served an LDS service mission to Cambodia, which was a meaningful experience for the both of them.

Dale was uniquely blessed throughout his life.  He touched the lives of so many by sharing the gifts he had.

Dale is preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Mary, sister Verl, brothers Lee and June and daughter Lanelle.  He is survived by his wife Lora Johnson, sisters Jeri Sheehy and Arva Witbeck, sons; Neil (Roberta), Russ (Cheris), Greg (Heidi), Kyle (Denise), and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, family and friends that will love and miss him and carry on his legacy and love of life.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Monday February 20, 2023 in the Grove Eighth Ward Chapel,1136 West 700 South, Pleasant Grove, Utah. A viewing will be held at 9:00 am - 10:30 am prior to the services. Interment will be in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olpinmortuary.com.

You will be missed Dale; until we meet again.