Milton Dale Johnson

Milton Dale Johnson was born on November 23, 1945, in Valley City, North Dakota to Clarence and Alma Johnson. He passed away peacefully on October 29, 2026, after 16 years of living with Parkinson’s disease.

Milt was raised on a farm near Hastings, North Dakota. He attended Valley City State University where he met his wife, Connie Friskop. He transferred to North Dakota State University and graduated with a degree in chemistry. Milt and Connie were married in December, 1967 and shared nearly 59 wonderful years of marriage.

Milt worked for Shell Chemical Company in Newark, NJ prior to earning a Master’s degree in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Milt and Connie then settled in Michigan, where he worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years as a research chemist specializing in fuels and lubricants.

Milt was a loving dad to Jennifer Johnson (Matthew Frazer) and Brian Johnson (Gail Krieger). He was grandpa to Michelle Frazer, Park Frazer, John Frazer, Matthew Frazer, Amy Johnson, and Evan Johnson. Milt thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with his grandchildren, watching them grow, bringing them treats, and capturing photographs of their adventures together.

He is also survived by his siblings, Clarice Heckman and Merle Johnson. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Clayton and Earl Johnson.

Milt had a deep love for nature photography. He spent a large part of his retirement outdoors capturing the beauty of birds, flowers, deer, squirrels and anything else nature presented to him both in his neighborhood and at Kensington Metropark. He would spend hours on the computer to fine tune his pictures and entered the best in camera club competitions, winning several awards. When Connie reminded him that he should, he would even include his family in his photos. After the grandkids arrived, he took endless photos of them, compiling collages and photo books for each of them.

Milt will be remembered for his quiet strength in remaining positive, continuing to live and love his family, and never letting his Parkinson’s beat him down.

Milt loved his family and he was deeply loved. He will be missed.

A funeral service celebrating Milt’s life will be held on Friday, November 13, 2026 at Ward Church.

Memorial donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation in Milt’s honor.