Donald Allan Johnson, 33, unexpectedly passed away Friday, March 31, 2023, in his sleep at his home in Lawton, leaving the many people whose lives he had touched, with great sorrow. Don was born to Randall and Sandra Johnson in Kalamazoo, and raised at Palmer Beach, on Eagle Lake in Paw Paw.
He attended Paw Paw Public Schools and graduated in 2007. He enjoyed playing sports of all kinds. Baseball, golf, snow skiing, and anything on or in the water were his favorites.
As a young teenager, he had a dock service business that grew very quickly. He and several of his friends would put in and take out 20 to 30 docks per year. He also worked at the family business, D & D (Don and Dad) Services – Diapers unlimited, after school learning the skills and dedication required to reach business goals.
Don was a very good student in school but chose not to attend college. Instead, he chose to pursue his passion of helping others, (especially those in pain) in the medical marijuana industry. Don believed strongly in the healing and sedative properties that cannabis provided. Over the next five years, he developed (through cloning) several strains of cannabis that his patients found to be much better for their needs than any other product they had tried. They encouraged Don to enter his cannabis in the High Times Cannabis Cup Festival in Cleo, Michigan. He won the Best in Show Award in 2015. Don continued to cultivate new strains with different healing properties until 2019, when he returned to D & D Services. He was very proud of his awards and the contributions he had made to the medical use of cannabis.
Simply put, Don was a kind and caring soul. He was always friendly and genuinely interested in how others were doing. More than anything though, he loved his family; his life partner and closest friend, Ashley Russel, and his two sons, Maximus Luke (2011) and Vincent Kvell (2016). He loved, nurtured, and protected them in every way. From teaching the boys to swim at Palmer Beach and tube behind the boat on Eagle Lake to wrestling on the floor and playing video games at home, his family will have memories of him to treasure forever.
In addition to Ashley, Max and Vince, Don will also be lovingly remembered by his parents, Randy and Sandy Johnson of Paw Paw; Grandma Barb (Johnson) of Paw Paw, and many uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his son, Cooper Jack; Grandparents, Richard and Mary Ann Stout; his grandfather, Donald Johnson; and grandmother, Marjorie Johnson.
A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at Heritage Glen Golf Course, 29795 Heritage Lane, Paw Paw, Saturday, April 15, at 2 p.m. with visitation and a 3 p.m. memorial service for remembrance and reflection.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to GO FUND ME (information available on Facebook) for use in his boys’ education.
Online condolences may be made at: www.adamspawpaw.com