Johnson was hired as the Miamisburg school district’s attendance officer in 2001 and worked in that position for several years while earning his master’s degree in education from the University of Phoenix, Blessing said. Since then, he devoted his life to teaching, serving as a business and keyboarding teacher at MHS, and coaching basketball, cross country and track teams throughout his teaching career.
“Mr. Johnson dedicated much of his life to helping young people reach their goals and find success,” Blessing said in the letter. “Along with teaching, he was passionate about coaching youth and felt rewarded by watching them work hard and achieve great things.”
One of those on whom he made an impact was Miamisburg High graduate David Bruton Jr., who played for the Denver Broncos from 2009 to 2015, including the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, and then for the Washington Redskins in 2016.
Bruton Jr. said on Instagram Tuesday that Johnson was “an amazing human being beyond coaching and teaching.”
“He was a great father, friend, and mentor,” he said. “He set the precedent for many people that walked the hallways in Miamisburg High School to work hard and strive to be the greatest version of yourself that you could be.”
Throughout his career at Miamisburg, Johnson was the head cross country coach from 2004 to 2018 and was the head track & field coach since 2004, Blessing said.
“His impressive dual meet winning percentage of .727, with 72 wins and 27 losses, is a testament to his strong leadership and understanding of the sport,” she said.
Johnson’s coaching career included coaching 13 state placers in track & field and five state placers in cross country, culminating in his induction into the Miamisburg High School Hall of Fame as a coach on Jan. 28, 2022, she said.
“His passion for educating youth and helping them reach their full potential will be remembered and cherished by all those that he had an impact on throughout the years,” Blessing said. “Mr. Johnson’s legacy will live on in the hearts of those he touched with his inspiring words and dedication to education.”
Public visitation is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Gebhart-Schmidt-Parramore Funeral Home at 508 E. Linden Ave. in Miamisburg. A private funeral service is scheduled for Wednesday, with burial to take place at Highland Memorial Cemetery.
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