Byron is survived by his wife of 34 years, Jacqueline “Jacque” Johnson, children, Alexandria “Alex” and Andrew Johnson, siblings: Rex (Valerie “Val”) Johnson, Guy (Anna) Johnson, Janice (Bobby) Birkhead, and numerous nieces and nephews. Byron’s parents, Benny and Mary Ann Johnson, and his sister, Donna (David) Reichardt, preceded him in death.
Byron’s life was marked by the kind of everyday joy that gathers people close—through shared meals, familial traditions, and the steady comfort of time spent together. He had a gift for making ordinary moments feel like something worth celebrating. His presence brought warmth and ease to rooms, backyards, and boats where friends and family found themselves laughing, talking, and simply enjoying being together.
Music was one of Byron’s quiet pleasures. He especially enjoyed listening to the contemporary jazz station Watercolors—melodic saxophone, relaxed piano tracks, breezy guitars, and groovy bass lines that suited his spirit and set the tone to start the day. Some will remember he once played the alto saxophone in his younger days. He was a huge Texans fan, the kind who brought enthusiasm and pride to every season and every game.
Byron loved cooking, BBQing and smoking meat. He was well known for his dessert-making skills that people talked about long after the last bite. Whether he was tending a smoker, planning a meal, or putting the finishing touches on something sweet. Byron offered care, in the form of gifts of flavor—generous welcoming, that was meant to be shared with family and friends.
Byron loved the outdoors and he especially enjoyed kayaking and fishing with family and friends. While savoring the simple peace of the water and the company beside him. Gardening and yard work came naturally to Byron, and he enjoyed it immensely, finding satisfaction in the steady work of growing, tending, and keeping things beautiful.
Byron’s final act of kindness was to give the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. For those desiring, donations may be made in Byron's memory to LifeGift - Southeast Region, 2510 Westridge Street, Houston, Texas 77054 or online at LifeGift at https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1990&AID=1646 , or the charity of one's choice.
Friends are invited to join the family for a breakfast reception and gathering period at Grand View Funeral Home, 8501 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505, in the San Jacinto Events Hall on Friday, August 28, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. A Celebration of his Life will occur immediately following in the Yellow Rose Chapel at 11:00 AM.
Byron’s memory will live on in the music that drifts through a room, in the smoke and spice of a well-made meal, in the sweetness of a dessert shared at the table. In the calm of a day on the water—reminders of a life that brought people together and made the world feel brighter.
