Rich's Funeral and Dinner After

 

Back Row Left to Right: Justin Hatch, McKenzei Martin, Elizabeth Corn, Shari Haws, Marc Richards, Jen Gorder, Austin Goebel, Shay
Front Row Left to Right: Maddie Ward, Alli Pingree, Colin Dougherty, Me, SaiDee Falslev, Ashley Wilson
Not Pictured: Colin's Wife Sarah and Angie, a hospital admin.

Dinner at the Spaghetti Factory

Thanks Shari for the shirt and thanks Hospital Admin for paying for all of our meals!

Richard (Rich) Johnston's Obituary

Richard Johnston Obituary

Richard "RJ" Gregory Johnston, 41, of Ogden, Utah, died peacefully in his sleep on July 21, 2023 in McCammon, Idaho.
He was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming on October 22, 1981, to parents Robert Wayne and Wanda Gay Johnston. He graduated from Rock Springs High School in 2000. He was a member of the National Honor Society and received the Presidential Award for his 4.0 GPA throughout high school. He then went on to receive his Masters Degree in Psychology from University of Phoenix. He maintained his perfect 4.0 GPA throughout his post-secondary education, as well.
At the time of his death, Rich was a Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Ogden Regional Hospital. Prior to that, Rich worked for Children's Service Society as the Director of their Adoptions and Grandfamilies programs. He had also been a social worker for DCFS in Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Brigham City. Throughout his career, he worked tirelessly to help those he served to live good lives. He was dedicated to helping people feel loved and taken care of.
He met his soulmate, Christopher LaMont Hansen, in 2019. They were married on August 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They created a beautiful home together in Ogden, Utah with their beloved fur babies, Marley and Koda.
The magic he worked in the kitchen is unparalleled! He loved cooking and baking, and especially enjoyed sharing his food with everyone. Always prepared to feed an army, he wouldn't let anyone leave without to-go containers full of goodies. He is especially well known for his amazing cakes, desserts, and pastries.
He had a keen eye for decorating. He enjoyed crafting, music, and dancing like no one was watching. One of his greatest achievements was that he was nationally ranked as a long distance runner. He also had a deep love for animals and being in nature. Rich always gave 150% of himself to anyone and everyone. The more he loved you, the more presents and desserts you received. Rich is responsible for single-handedly keeping Costco, Bath & Body Works, Amazon, Disney, and J&J Nursery in business during Covid and beyond!
Rich is survived by his husband Chris; parents Robert and Wanda; and his sister Amanda (Steve) Vincent (children Rylee, Harmonee, Jaice, Landen, and Joshua). Also surviving are his in-laws: LaMont and Leslie Hansen; Kellie (Shaun) Bess (children Taylor, Hollie, and Kambri); and Lindsay (Mark) Phenes (children Hadley, Zoey, and Rylee).
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; brother Wayne Johnston; nephew D'ante Peebels; and nieces Tamara Vincent and Michelle Hansen.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to the First Baptist Church for the beautiful venue; Salt Lake Men's Choir for years of happy memories; Utah Bears, CUB, and BlackBoots for their generosity and brotherhood over the years; Matrons of Mayhem for their fundraising efforts; Todd Goodsell, a good friend and the Funeral Director of Franklin County Funeral Home, for his dedicated support and compassionate service, the emergency and first response teams for their life-saving efforts, and Dan Doxey for his tremendous support over the last week. The family would also like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, positive thoughts, and memories shared of Rich.
If you have any pictures of Rich, please upload them to this page, before Friday (7/28) so they may be compiled into a slideshow to present at the services on Saturday.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 29th, 2023 at 1:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Salt Lake (777 S 1300 E Salt Lake City, UT 84102). A viewing will also be held from 11:00 AM -12:45 PM prior to the services. Rich will then be cremated, per his wishes. Those who are not able to attend in person my attend via streaming video by following this link. View Services
Because Rich's favorite color was purple, it would be a great tribute to him if his family and friends would wear purple (optional) in his memory. He would want his loved ones to dress comfortably, though.
In lieu of flowers, donations to help with funeral expenses can be sent directly to Chris Hansen through Venmo: @pianoman89. If you prefer you can make payment directly to the funeral home by following this link Donate to Funeral
Please share a favorite memory of Rich or offer condolences to the family by leaving a tribute on this page.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard, please visit our floral store.
If you would like to make a donation in memory of Richard Gregory Johnston, please visit the
Tribute Fund.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/richard-johnston-obituary?id=52541676

Hiking Moon Lake

Meg, Mary, myself, and the dogs went on a hike up Moon Lake. One of the funny moments from the hike happened when we first passed the river. Rozy must have been hot and desperate. She immediately went into the river to cool off and drink some water. She normally doesn't like to get wet. It was a bit unusual.

Here a few pictures from our adventure.

 

Pioneer Day 2023

Happy Pioneer Day! I ate my pie the Relief Society gave out Sunday for breakfast. Then, Meg and I took our paddle boards out to Sand Wash for the morning/early afternoon. That evening we did some indoor grilling for dinner with the family. I hope everyone had a good Pioneer Day.

 

Beautiful View

My view walking Loki this evening.

 

July 2023 Library Book Club Book

    On July 10 I was able to go to the library's book club. This month's pick is Into The Wild. This is an interesting read. It's not something I would have picked up on my own. It's the story of a boy who goes off into the Alaska wilderness, expecting to spend a few months there, before returning to society. Alas, he did not survive. 

    We had a great discussion about the book. Some of the questions asked were what did we think about some of the other stories included? Did we feel they were relevant to help us understand Chris? Was Chris selfish for going into the wilderness/other adventures without telling his parents where he was going?

From Amazon: "NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. This is the unforgettable story of how Christopher Johnson McCandless came to die.

"It may be nonfiction, but Into the Wild is a mystery of the highest order." —Entertainment Weekly

McCandess had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Not long after, he was dead. Into the Wild is the mesmerizing, heartbreaking tale of an enigmatic young man who goes missing in the wild and whose story captured the world’s attention. 

Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and, unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.

Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life. Admitting an interest that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the drives and desires that propelled McCandless. 

When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris. He is said to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity, and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding—and not an ounce of sentimentality. Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page."

Mantua Poppy Fields

Before choir tonight, Becca took me to the Mantua Poppy Fields. When the Danish immigrants first came to the area, they had brought with them the seeds and planted them. With time they spread to become the fields they are now. They are beautiful and abundant. If you ever go, be careful as you walk through them to not trample them. Thanks Becca for taking me!