Ronald Foy Johnson

Ron, a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away leaving behind a legacy defined by adventure, connection, and an unmatched spirit of generosity.

Born on August 2, 1968, to Tommy and Mintzu Johnson on an Air Force Base in Mountain Home, Idaho, Ron lived a life centered on bringing people together, feeding them well, and ensuring everyone around him felt taken care of.

Ron’s family settled in Bellevue, Washington upon his father’s retirement from the Air Force. He graduated from Interlake High School and attended the University of Washington, where he earned his degree in Chemistry. After graduation, he stepped into the tech world first as a consultant for a small computer networking company and then a few years later joining Microsoft as a network engineer. Over his remarkable 30 plus year career there, Ron held multiple technical leadership roles, influencing and mentoring many people along the way through true camaraderie, teamwork and unwavering ethics. While he was deeply proud of his professional work, it was not the thing that he wanted to define him.

Ron was an avid and highly accomplished outdoorsman. Ron was entirely at home in nature. Whether he was backpacking, sailing, fishing in the San Juans, hunting big game in the Idaho back country or chasing pheasants with hunting dogs he trained himself in eastern Washington, his outdoor adventures were varied and never solo endeavors— they were experiences shared with his family and friends.

Ron was a true renaissance man and if there was anything that could top his passion for the great outdoors, it was his love for cooking. For Ron, food was the ultimate expression of love and his most prevalent trait: ever-present generosity. His kitchen and campfires were always gathering places where friends and family were fed abundantly. He took immense joy in passing this love of culinary creation down to the next generation, a tradition proudly carried on today by his children, nieces, and nephew. Ron loved being on Orcas Island with his family, teaching his kids how to catch trout at the lake and sharing his knowledge of various cuisines. He loved working with his hands and built several wooden boats, taught himself how to brew beer, and even played a little guitar. He loved the energy of a good show. He was always up for live music, from catching a local set at a favorite venue in Seattle to soaking in the atmosphere of an all-weekend music festival.

Ron’s warmth and big heart will be profoundly missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his mother, Mintzu, of Bellevue, Washington; his beloved wife of 33 years, Ellie; his son, Thomas; and his daughter, Autumn, also of Bellevue, Washington. He also leaves behind his brother, Dan, and his wife, Carissa, along with his nieces, Serena and Vanessa, of Hebron, Connecticut; his niece, Miranda, and her husband, Cam, of Tacoma, Washington; and his nephew, Derek, of Burlington, Vermont.

A celebration of life service is being planned so all that loved Ron can come together and share stories of how Ron’s humor, love and generosity impacted their lives. The place, date and time will be announced soon.