Stephen Hite Johnson, 73, passed away on Oct. 28, 2022, at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, Illinois, after a 14-month bout with cancer. He was surrounded by his family and friends.
Stephen was born Oct. 2, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second of three children of Eric and Augusta (Hite) Johnson. Stephen spent the majority of his early years in Crawfordsville, and graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1968. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1969, serving as a radar technician on B-52 Stratofortress and F-4 Phantom II aircraft. He was ultimately deployed to Udorn Royal Air Force Base in Thailand in support of the Vietnam War.
Stephen married his high-school sweetheart, Barbara (Davis) in May of 1970. They lived in a variety of places in the United States as orders dictated before finally settling in West Lafayette, after he was honorably discharged in 1973. There, he worked full time, welcomed three sons, and pursued degrees in electrical engineering at Purdue University, from which he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1981. He returned to Northern Illinois in 1982, where he was employed as a design and test engineer for a variety of telecommunications companies.
Stephen was active in many local United Methodist Church congregations and faithfully served God in lay leadership. Inquisitive and curious, Stephen was a life-long learner, tinkerer, and builder who always had a project in the garage or on the workbench. Most recently, he rebuilt and remodeled his wife’s childhood home. He loved his family and cherished the chance to support them. He especially enjoyed being an active part of his grandchildren’s lives.
Stephen is survived by loving wife, Barbara; brother Eric Johnson (Deborah); sister Leslie Johnson; his sons, Matthew (Emily) Johnson, Birney Johnson and Stephen Johnson; and grandchildren, Tristan, Liberty, Madisyn, Ethan and Alexander.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
A visitation at noon and a memorial service at 1 p.m. will be held Friday, Nov. 4 at First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake, 236 West Crystal Lake Ave., with Pastor Lisa Kruse-Safford officiating.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Stephen’s name may be made to Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau (http://mcysb.org/), 808 W. Pike St. Crawfordsville, IN, 47933, and Hesed House (https://www.hesedhouse.org/), 659 South River St. Aurora, IL, 60506.
