Jay Johnson

Johnson, Jay Andrew

Born April 28, 1970 in St. Paul and passed away peacefully of natural causes on March 24, 2015 in St. Paul. Preceded in death by grandparents, Lawrence Peterson and Clarence & Mae Johnson. Survived by mother, Rev. Jean Greenwood; father Rev. Rich Johnson (Debra); sister, Elissa Johnson (Ron Jones); grandmother, Dorothy Peterson; and best friend, Al Harper.

Jay came to us as a rare gift from God at age 5 mo. He had a sweet & tender spirit, was kind, thoughtful, generous to a fault, with a winsome charm & wit. He loved music, & was a gifted pianist. Bright & articulate, he had a passion for life & fierce independence. Though obstacles in his life were many & great, including cerebral palsy & mental illness, Jay faced each day with courage & a strong will to live. Schizophrenia (& a flawed mental health system) slowly, grievously, compromised his life and health. Our beloved, beautiful Jay will be dearly missed.

Two Celebrations of Life will be held Sunday, April 12th at 3pm Fairmount Avenue United Methodist Church, 1523 Fairmount Avenue, St. Paul. with a gathering one hour prior to the service (hosted by Jay's father); and Sunday, April 12, at 6:30pm at Eaglecrest Terrance, 2925 Lincoln Drive, Roseville with a gathering beginning at 6pm (hosted by Jay's mother).

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota.