RANDALL 'RED' JOHNSON
Randall “Red” Johnson, 75, of Sioux Falls, passed away Sunday, November 26, 2023. Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, November 30, 2023, at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 1, 2023, also at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for future designation to the DAV.
Randall Wayne Johnson, son of Gordon Johnson and Clara Reasoner, was born December 12, 1947, near White Lake. He attended school in Lake Andes. Red’s early life was spent working on the family farm and helping local farmers. During his teenage years, he worked on a combine crew that traversed the Midwest. In 1966, he joined the United States Army, becoming a select member of the 82nd Airborne Division. In Vietnam, he transferred to the 101st Airborne, proudly serving as a paratrooper and radio operator for the remainder of his military career, until his honorable discharge in 1968.
He was united in marriage to Lila Raymond April 10, 1970 and they were blessed with two children, Teresa and Troy. They made their home in Lake Andes until 1977 when they moved to Sioux Falls. Red worked as an over the road trucker for nearly 30 years, driving millions of miles around the country. He later worked in the oil fields in Wyoming until retiring in 2014.
He was awed by, and appreciated, everything in nature and loved being outdoors. He was an avid hunter for many years and took several hunting trips to Canada and Wyoming. Red loved his family and friends… spending time visiting, catching up, (and a little bit of teasing) were his greatest joys. His story telling will be greatly missed.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Lila Johnson of Sioux Falls; children, Teresa (Tony) Russell of Sioux Falls and Troy (Heather) Johnson of Williston, ND; grandchildren, Alyssa (Dylan) Olsen of Elkhorn, NE, Nathan (Brittany) Johnson of Hartford, SD, Christopher (Jessica Bradley) Bergstrom of Bismarck, ND, Ivy (Kaiden) Corkill of Fort Collins, CO, Stephne (Jerad) Stanfield of Sioux Falls, and Crimson Eske of Sioux Falls; seven great grandchildren; siblings, Gary (Judy) Johnson of Sioux Falls, Chuck Johnson of Moorcroft, WY, and Joan Niles of Sioux Falls; inlaws, Doris Johnson of Rock Springs, WY, Judy Johnson of Buffalo, WY; Rhonda Johnson of Wright, WY, Sharon Sheesley of Rapid City, SD, Gale ( Kim) Raymond of Reliance, SD, Janice (Gary) Nelson of Palmer, AK; and a host of additional family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Clara; stepfather, Ray DeJong; brothers, Larry Johnson, Kenneth Johnson, and Steve Johnson; in-laws, Mylan Niles, Nancy Johnson, Lloyd Baker, Shirley Baker, Dale Sheesley, Dawn Olson, and Mike Olson.