Martin Noel Johnson

Martin Noel Johnson was born January 21st, 1935 to Martin and Ida Johnson in Denver, Colorado and he had one younger sister, Voanne (Johnson) Bertelsen. Noel (as he was known) graduated from Denver's East High School and was stationed at Fort Ord (California) with the U.S. Army. He went on to attend St. Olaf College (Minnesota) and graduated with a degree in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Colorado. He married Marilyn (Tommerdahl) Johnson August 11th, 1968 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church (Denver) and they made their home in Wheat Ridge, Colorado where they enjoyed a large yard with "woods", a long, winding driveway on which his children would learn to ride their bikes, floral gardens in every nook and one large garden in which Noel would plant and harvest many of his family's Summer vegetables.

Noel worked in chemical research and development for most of his professional career which allowed for Marilyn to be home pursuing her passions which included taking care of the home and family. After retiring from Amax Research and Development in Golden, he worked for 14 years for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts as their Switchboard Operator which also served as a "foot in the door" for his children to operate professionally in various capacities for the Denver Center. The whole family would frequently enjoy the benefit of free professional theatre, when they weren't also attending Colorado Rockies games which Noel held season tickets for, for many years as a devoted, long-time fan; he also enjoyed supporting the Denver Broncos.

Both Noel and Marilyn were leaders in Lutheran church education and youth ministry, Noel serving as Sunday School Superintendent at Our Savior's (where Marilyn was also a teacher and choir director) and both as teachers at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, where they have been members since the mid-1980's.

Noel and Marilyn toured with a recorder performance group throughout Denver and performed with the Renaissance Festival. They were avid fishermen and hikers (with their family pup) of their beloved Colorado Rocky Mountains and foothills. Noel was also a fine woodworker—churning out furniture, toys, and sculptures from his fully outfitted "wood shop" in the garage before focusing on Norwegian-style flat plane figure carving. He had several of these pieces exhibited at The Kennedy Center.

Noel will meet again someday with his surviving wife Marilyn and her brother Paul, his two children Paul and Carisa, Carisa's husband Branden and their children Sebastian and Britta, his sister Voanne and her husband Norman, his beloved niece and nephews, his great-nieces and great-nephews, many cousins and the many people to whom he was a wonderful friend. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work, devout faith, appreciating beauty--both majestic and of the most subtle, and of relishing all of life's joys.

Memorial donations may be made to either Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church or the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation Inc. (http://sp-foundation.org/).