Steven Paul Johnson

Steven Paul Johnson, born July 21, 1952, went to be with our Lord on November 28, 2022, after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer.  Steve was strong, fiercely loyal, loving, independent, smart, and a true self-made man, who valued family and God above all else.  He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 46 years, Judi, their three children, Emily (Freddy), Andrea (Mark), and Ian (April), and their six grandchildren, Sierra, Ava, Samantha, Austin, Lincoln, and Lance.

Steve was born in Oakland, California, and moved with his family to Carmichael when he was 5 years old.  In school, he found his passion for woodworking, mechanical drawing, and architecture.  True to his self-made style, he received his Architect License in 1982 after completing home courses and successfully passing the state’s architectural exams.  Having moved to Elk Grove in 1985, Steve began his professional career by forming a design-build firm with a partner, designing and building many of the homes at Shortline Lake and other Elk Grove regions.  He was also credited with many residential and commercial custom works, including the home he and Judi raised their children in.  Steve went on to work for several multinational firms, including The Gap, Westfield Group, and Apple, supervising commercial construction projects throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Steve finished his career overseeing prison construction for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation—a fascinating end to a storied career!

Steve met the love of his life, Judi, at church in the early 1970’s.  He often said that his belief in God stemmed from Judi’s presence in his life.  Steve was a loving father and grandfather, keying into the unique personalities of each of his offspring.  He coached little league baseball, enjoyed attending all the different sporting and artistic events of his children and grandchildren, and always encouraged each of them to find their passion.  Completely devoted to his children’s future, he made sure they valued education and graduated college.

Steve was an avid golfer.  He and Judi enjoyed playing all over Sacramento and Palm Springs, along with a few trips to the Little River Inn in Mendocino.  He loved golfing with his son, Ian, and daughter, Andrea, and introducing the game to each of his grandchildren.  Steve also loved to read, work in his yard, attend musical theater with his wife, and travel.  It was the pleasure of his life to bring family with him on some of his work trips, including visiting iconic baseball parks around the country with his son and taking his daughters to New York’s Broadway theater.  His favorite vacation destinations were Hawaii, Palm Springs, and Canada.  

In addition to his wife, kids, and grandkids, Steve is survived by many nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters in-law, and friends.  His strong and loving presence, papa bear hugs, and scrappy go-get-‘em attitude will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him.  His family will keep his memory alive with family golf outings on his birthday, the last of which was at Haggin Oaks Golf Course as they celebrated his 70^th earlier this year.