May 18, 2016 By Loomis Funeral Homes Leave Condolence

Mr. Ralph Royce Johnson

From the time he was a little boy, Ralph always wanted to drive a truck; however getting to that place meant a slew of other jobs like bagging groceries, helping his parents open graves for Marvin Zanders, managing restaurants and working for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park Service. Most people never achieve their goals, but he did.

He took great pride in his profession. He drove long distance over the country and occasionally into Canada for many, many years. He logged over a million miles in his career. When his long-haul trucking came to an end, he started his escort service, still traveling, but this time he was in front of the big loads or behind them. He was always mindful of safety and that was very evident in the many awards, certificates, patches and pins he received throughout his career.

Ralph moved to Fargo, ND a few years back. He would eventually retire there. Ralph loved fishing, cooking in his crockpots and going to the movies. His fishing trips weren't as often as he would have liked. He had posted on Facebook recently that he was enjoying some walleye that Jesse caught on their last fishing trip together. He enjoyed sharing his recipes, letting you know what he was cooking and then letting you know how it tasted. Apparently this man should have had his own cooking show. He was our Fargo movie critic. He would post on FB that he was headed out to see whatever movie it was. When he returned, we would hear the review. His last post was on Thursday. As our Fargo movie critic, he was headed out the door to see Captain America and said he would let us know. Sadly, we never got to hear how it was.

Ralph loved to tell jokes and play practical jokes. Sometimes random texts would hit your phone throughout the day and they always included a joke. Sometimes a little risqué, but that was his personality. And we loved him and we will miss those texts, phone calls and the booming laughter that filled the room. When he laughed, you laughed.

During the Christmas season, he would often go out in a red shirt and a Santa's hat. All of the little ones were always on their best behavior when he was around them. He would talk to them and tell them that he knew they had been good and they should continue to do so.

Ralph was in the United States Army and served in the Vietnam era. He was a decorated veteran and earned the Bronze Medal. He was very proud to be a Vietnam Veteran and more times than not, he wore clothing or hats with insignia on it to show his pride. He was honored to serve his country.

Sunday, May 15th at 6:37 p.m. marked the end of a remarkable life.He leaves a lasting legacy behind…his three children, Jenny, Elizabeth and Jesse and his four grandchildren, Amber, Maddie, Emma and Abby. The love this man had for his family was immeasurable. He was so very proud of his kids. He spoke often of them and their accomplishments and was always quick with a picture to show you on his phone. Usually it was one that he had saved from someone else's Facebook page. He loved his granddaughters so very much too. He loved watching them grow and hearing about their school. He would come to visit and he always took them out to eat. Ralph spent a lot of time on the floor when the little ones were around. You really didn't know who was the adult and who was the child. So much love he had.

We love you Ralph Royce Johnson. You will be sorely missed! God Bless You!

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