I have not been able to visit this site since you have been gone. I can not remember a period of my life of life that you were not part of it. Posted this to photo as catching fish was your passion. RIP my bother as you will always be in my heart

Dave was a great person and co-worker. We worked together on various projects over the last 20 years and he was always a pleasure to work with and would do whatever was needed to keep projects moving forward. He had a zest for the Florida lifestyle that made him a fun person to be around. He always spoke about his family and those around him with great pride and affection. Those that knew him have lost a great friend. Dave, I hope you can always be fishing in Heaven! When it's my turn, I will see you on the water...............

We said our earthly goodbyes to you today, but you will always be in our hearts. Everyone said what a kind soul you were and there is no doubt about it. In my heart I know you are in a better place now... I also know you made the world a better place while you were in it. I was honored to be blessed with your friendship. You are missed and will continue to be. Fly high among the angels, my friend.... Fly high.
My condolences to Dave's entire family. Justin, no one loved you more than your dad did and he was so proud of you. Hold onto the good times, let them get you through the bad times.  R.I.P. Dave!

Dave has been a long time friend, he always had a gentle soul and everyone who met him gravitated twords that soul..... You will be missed my friend but not forgotten........ George 

This is David's HS graduation photo in 1987
Dave was very easy going. He had a very gentle heart and soul.
He had a happy life growing up. He was also a man of few words.

Post 3 of 3
Our close friend group from Bakersfield never lost contact with David.  "Big Dave" to us when we were younger, DJ as we got older, but we would still slip in a Big Dave here and there.  FaceTime and Zoom video calls these last few years laughing our tails off remembering old times and catching each other up on our growing families.  These last few years David tried to rally us all to come out to Tampa for a week of fishing and I'm bummed that trip didn't come together.  

Big Dave, you are a life long friend, I count you on one hand with those best friends in life that I've known since childhood.  My friend, you were one of the kindest and most humble souls that I have known in my lifetime.  A loyal friend that I could step into a conversation without hesitation even if it had been a few months since we last spoke.  Thank you for that friendship DJ, I have been flooded with memories these last few weeks.  Happy memories of all of our times together.  I miss you buddy.

Bob, Kay, Steve, Monica, Justin and other family and friends, you are in my thoughts and prayers, I am so sorry for your loss.  
-Jim Karr

Post 2 of 3
And we needed spending money to ride our bikes to Handy Mart, Mary Pounds, and Mom's Donuts.  Buying junk food and playing arcade games for hours on end on those long, hot summer days.  But our parents wouldn't just give us the money.  At a young age we were clipping and edging our parent's lawns and washing their cars for allowance money.  But that wasn't enough, so we started collecting aluminum cans from neighborhood trash cans.  Bags, and bags and bags of cans, crush them with our feet, bag them up, and then our moms would drive us down to the recycling plant where we would exchange them for extra spending money.  And as teenagers we worked as "cart boys" at the local public golf course.

Todd, David and I were a tight crew those first few years.  Friend groups naturally expanded, enter Jim Baize, Mike Kennedy and others.  We all went to Norris Elementary, then Norris Middle School, and then North High School.  

David's dad (Bob) had a job transfer that took the Johnson Family to Atlanta the summer after we all graduated from high school in 1987.  And a few years later he had another transfer that took their family to Tampa.  David was the first of our friend group to marry and Todd, Jim and I were honored to fly out to Tampa and be part of his wedding.  

My work took me around the country for a few years in the late 90's.  In Feb 1997, I took a job with a company that needed me in the Southeast US.  They had no offices in the Southeast, just wanted me physically living there to be near customers in that region.  Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa were the logical choices.  I only knew one person in the Southeast so off to Tampa I went to be near David.  I think Justin was 2 or 3 years old.  I had a ski boat, and I think at the time David's dad had a fishing boat.  I was only in Tampa for one full year, but in that year we must have went out water skiing or fishing at least 30 days.  



Post 1 of 3
David was raised in Northwest Bakersfield.  A growing area with mostly young families moving into newly built track development homes.  My family moved into our home the summer of 1975.  My next door neighbor was Todd Windes.  Todd and I entered the 1st grade that September, proud Norris Knights.  

My family went to the same church as David's cousins, Chad and Brad.  My memory was that the Johnson Family moved into their new home one block over the summer of 1976.  We were introduced to the Johnson Family thru David's aunt and cousins, and soon Todd, David and I were best buds.  

Swimming, basketball, baseball, football, ping pong, and every other activity kids could do in their backyard, front yard, out in our neighborhood streets and at the local parks.  Surrounding our newly built neighborhoods were tens of miles of almond and fruit orchards, and cotton and vegetable crops.  We rode our bikes, motorcycles, and ATV's thru the surrounding fields where we came of age building tumbleweed forts, dirt bike tracks/jumps, and getting chased off by farmers who didn't want us stirring up dust on their crops and orchards.  

"Wires" dirt canal was a couple blocks from our homes, providing irrigation to some of the local farmers, it was a biology lesson for us each year seeing the annual frog hatch.  First the breeding season, then the eggs all over in the marsh canal, then the hatch and thousands of tabpoles, and over the coming months the tadpoles would grow into frogs, and soon thereafter they would make it out of the canal and into our neighborhoods, in our flower beds and into our backyards.  

BB guns, then pellet guns, then our first single shot shotguns, then graduating up to pump action 12-guage shotguns.  The annual opening day dove hunt, rising early with our dads to get in place before sunrise.  Fishing wherever we could, and our teenage years we made a couple trips to Bishop to trout fish the streams flowing from the Eastern Sierra's.   

Dave with his brother Steve. Having a good time. They laughed and joked a lot. Dave is standing on his tip toes to be taller. 

Summer Break @ Pismo/Avila Beach, Ca with Mr. and Mrs Johnson, Todd Windes and Diane Windes around 1982/83.

Dave and son Justin vacationing in Catalina

Dave with Steve and their mother. How I love my son. 
Dave knew how much I loved him his whole life.

Dave and his brother Steve. They loved each other.

Dave and son Justin. They sure loved each other.

My precious son Dave. I treasure this photo of him.

Handsome like his daddy! A really great day ❤️❤️

I miss David. I enjoyed his company at FRC. My deepest sympathy. Please call when needed 
God Bless your family 👪 always. 

Dave will be greatly missed by all who knew him! There was not a bad bone in his body, never bad things to say about anyone and a very giving man to all he knew. He loved his family and friends unconditionally! I met Dave when I was provided an opportunity at TECO for a new profession as a contractor. I basically knew nothing about electricity and Dave was always there for me. He was never too busy to answer my countless questions and advise me of steps to follow. His work ethic and desire to do an excellent job was routine for Dave in and out of the office. For all the friends and family who had the benefit of knowing Dave, please remember his huge smile, love for all his family, friends, desire to help anyone and most importantly his all around humble caring personality!  I will miss Dave immensely for countless reasons beyond what I mentioned previously.  Dave was my Brother from another Mother and he cannot be replaced. With Love my Brother and know I miss you and your presence and I will see you in the future smiling I am sure! You will not be forgotten! Love You, Brock  

I will be forever grateful for your friendship, mentoring and working with you for the past 15 years at Tampa Electric. Always willing to help anyone with anything, you were a valuable  part of  the EDPM team and you will truly be missed!!

I worked with Dave and can tell you he would help anyone. Very kind man. During COVID I remember talking to him on phone with concern of hard to get grocery items and the kind  Dave he was offered a helping hand to get those items from a grocery store one of his family members worked at and bring to my house.  I'm so sorry you have left us it's a BIG lost and you will be missed. 

I will not say Dave worked for me, but with me back in the early 2000's before he bid out of the Field Engineering Department. He was one the best Field Engineers I had the pleasure of working with through my many years at TECO as a Field Engineering Supervisor. He was a gentleman, and I admired his work ethic, and his desire to perform his job to a high standard, which he set for himself. I remember him being very proud of the quality and quantity of work he produced. I retired in 2009 and sorry to say had lost touch with Dave. He will be missed.
Richard Faedo

In 7th grade, David Johnson was my first slow dance. We use to talk about a house high in the hills overlooking the central cost. He was a fine young man and treated everyone he met well.  My deepest condolences to his family. 

OBITUARY

David William Johnson

14 July, 1968 – 2 April, 2022

Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens

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