E Johnson

VISITATION:

1-2 p.m., Monday, March 13, 2017 at the Church of Notre Dame, 117 Allen St., Chippewa Falls

MEMORIAL MASS:

2 p.m., Monday, March 13, 2017 at the Church of Notre Dame, 117 Allen St., Chippewa Falls

E. Douglas Johnson, AKA "Coach" or "Doug", age 74, died Friday, March 10, 2017 at Mayo Clinic Health System-Eau Claire.

Doug was born March 11, 1942 in Colorado Springs, CO to Elizabeth (Prentice) and Elmer Johnson. He graduated from Wasson High School in Colorado Springs in 1960, as the school's first class president. He then attended the University of Northern Colorado, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Education.

On December 4, 1960, he married his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Anglum in New Mexico. Originally from Chippewa Falls, Kathleen was from a military family and her father was based in Colorado Springs at the time she and Doug met. The couple resided in Colorado, where Doug taught Special Education, and coached football and wrestling in Colorado Springs School District 11. In 1990, they moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where Doug continued teaching and coaching at Cheyenne East High School.

In 2006, Doug and Kathleen moved back to her hometown of Chippewa Falls, where Doug worked as a tour guide at the Leinie Lodge, where he loved meeting new people and teaching them about the company.

Doug was a lifelong mentor and coachhe was a hard worker and dedicated to his family. He was "father" to many of his children's friends growing up and to his students, pushing them to excel, pursue higher education, and follow their dreams. With today's technology world of email and facebook, Coach was able to keep in contact with and continue mentoring and encouraging his students and old friends. Coach also enjoyed fishing, in fact, each grandchild caught their first fish while fishing with him.

He will be dearly missed by his wife of 56 years, Kathleen of Chippewa Falls; three children, Lt. Col. Jane (Peter) Free of Germany, Lori (Brett) Nerem of Chippewa Falls, J.D. (Jeni) Johnson of Bend, OR; a brother, John Johnson; a sister, Kathy Warmuth, both of Colorado Springs, CO; a brother-in-law, Sean (Gwen) Anglum; six grandchildren, Ryan Shefferly, Erin (Pawel) Binczyk, Casey (Lindsey) Goodman, Serenity, Calianna, and Jack Johnson; and one great-grandson, Thomas Goodman, and a great-grandchild "on the way", Baby Binczyk; also a niece and several nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother-n-law, John Warmuth; and a sister-in-law, Sandy Johnson.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, March 13, 2017 at the Notre Dame Catholic Church in Chippewa Falls with the Rev. Msgr. Mark Pierce officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Colorado.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service Monday at the church.