Thomas William Johnson.......72

PRIVATE FAMILY SERVICES FRIDAY .

BURIAL: Oak Lawn Cemetery, LaCygne, Kansas.

MEMORIAL: Hayden White Memorial Scholarship Fund and may be sent in care of the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home, P.O. Box 430, Osawatomie, Ks 66064.

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Thomas William Johnson, age 72 of LaCygne, Kansas died February 16, 2016 at his home.

Thomas was born January 9, 1944 in Paola, Kansas.  He is the younger of two children born to Kenneth Edward and Earlena (Cox) Johnson.  His family moved to California after he was born and Thomas went to grade school in California, before the family returned to the LaCygne area where he lived with his grandparents, Jess and Sadie Cox.  Thomas graduated from LaCygne Rural High School in 1962.

The following year, Thomas married Joyce Elaine Arnold on July 7, 1963 in LaCygne, Kansas.  Together they had four children, Bryan Lee, Theresa Lynn, Daren Edward, and Brent Arnold.  Thomas and Joyce have lived in the LaCygne area ever since.

After high school, Thomas worked for Pitman Manufacturing in Grandview, Missouri, which later became RO Products in Olathe, Kansas.  In 1972, Thomas started working for KCP&L as a scrubber operator in the AQC at the LaCygne generating station, where he could be close to home.  In 2004, he retired after nearly 33 years with the company.

As a boy growing up, Thomas enjoyed fishing and hunting.  He continued to enjoy these hobbies his entire life, fishing often with his wife Joyce, and hunting with his children and grandchildren.  He especially looked forward to deer season every year.  Thomas enjoyed other shooting pastimes as well, competing in local trap-shooting competitions, and cowboy action shooting in the Linn county area.  He was a member of the original LaCygne Christian Church as well as the Masonic Lodge #61 of LaCygne.  Thomas was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Thomas is preceded in death by his parents, his son Bryan, his great-grandson Hayden White, and his sister Geraldine.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Joyce; two sons Daren Johnson, Brent Johnson and wife Niejsa of LaCygne; daughter Theresa Munson and husband Martin of rural Cadmus, Kansas; his four grandchildren Cole Munson, Randi White  and husband Erik, Courtney Fleming, and Zackary Fleming; his four great-grandchildren Taylor, Kayleigh, Jocelynn, and Grayson.