at Vista Community Church, 2pm, Temple, TX.
A visitation will take place on Friday, December 9, 2022 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home in Temple.
Chris’ story is one of enduring perseverance. After living many years in the foster system, having been failed by his biological family and so many systems destined to help him, he finally found the enormous love of his forever family and used that love and a learned confidence to overcome obstacles and a sense of conquering as he maneuvered his own way to happiness. He was adopted locally at 13 and had grown to be a lively and happy young adult with many self taught skills, natural talents and a love that had always been waiting to burst from his heart. Although trauma from his struggles as a child induced PTSD, what made him happiest was spending time with family and friends as well as riding his motorcycle, the feeling of independence it created and that open air.
Chris was an athlete and enjoyed almost any sport involving a ball. When he was small he played little league baseball and football. He was on his high school tennis team in Round Rock and won several awards. Chris was also an natural at playing golf. Later, he became an accomplished paintball player, playing semi-professional with teams in the Austin area, competing in multiple tournaments, state-wide. The “Young Gun”, as his dad nicknamed him, also enjoyed playing airsoft and played locally at Temple Airsoft. But, he wasn’t your typical paintballer or airsoft player. He also became a self taught student of knowledge regarding firearms. When watching movies or T.V. shows with Chris, if the program involved guns, he would often interrupt with his knowledge about any firearm, including calibers, their manufacturing eras and plenty more. He was known by his paintball and airsoft friends as “the fixer”, because he could repair and even improve their guns. He personally owned several paintball and airsoft guns as well as thousands of parts by which he was known to “Frankenstein” and create his own working guns. He also enjoyed going to the ranges and shooting firearms on private lands. He was a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment and was vocal about it, often engaging others and “schooling” them on the subject.
Chris was also a radio controlled car hobbyist and taught himself how to repair how to repair them and race them, but mostly just enjoyed running his cars for fun alongside his father. This served as a springboard to him becoming also a knowledgeable car and motorcycle enthusiast and mechanic. He owned a classic Chevy truck and did most of the work, himself. He then purchased his first motorcycle just this year and “biker” quickly became his identity, for which he was proud. It made him happy. He was bold and as brave a soul as anyone had ever met.
The Johnson family is local to the Bell County area, going back several generations. When he became Chris Johnson, he was welcomed by all and fit right in, never looking back to his birth name or past, and proudly taking his new last name. When the family returned to Temple to be closer to his new grandfather, Chris and his father and brother quickly began to look for a family pet. They found their black lab and named him “Maverick.” Secretly, his dad helped choose the name because he had felt that Chris had a resemblance to the Top Gun character of the same nickname. Chris was excited to “rescue” his best buddy from the local city animal shelter and they connected instantly, sharing Chris’ bed at night and they were often inseparable by day. But, Maverick was not Chris’ only rescue. He was motivated to help other people overcome their struggles and obstacles. He sacrificed himself in many ways to help others. He has countless friends mourning his loss having been impacted by his pure heart, his desire to lift them up and by his loving eyes and smile through which his impact will always be felt by all.
Chris is deeply loved and terribly missed by his father, Gary Johnson, younger brother, Luke, and the rest of his family as well as a host of friends, locally, and in several other cities, states and countries whom he met during he and his father’s travel experiences.
He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Charlotte Shearin. He is survived by his father, Gary Johnson, brother, Luke Johnson, a brother Allen Fregia of Houston and sister Autumn Allred of Seguin, grandfather, Lloyd Johnson of Belton, an uncle, John Johnson of Temple and an aunt, Stephanie Hudson of Temple.
His father asks for your grace and generosity of heart in his plea that you consider the many children available for fostering and/or adoption and waiting to find their forever home. Many resources are available online and can be found by simple searches. “You will love them as your own.”
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.11.3