Jay Johnson

Jay Logan Johnson, formerly of Menomonee Falls, WI and Bonita Springs, FL, died peacefully on July 4, 2025 in Lake City, MN at the age of 101 years. He is survived by his children, Ann, Thomas (Ann), Allen, and daughter-in-law, Nancy Sorensen. He also leaves behind three grandsons, Charles, Benjamin, and Owen Johnson, his sister-in-law, Lily Schmidt of Wauwatosa, WI, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Jay was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 68 years, Shirley (nee Schmidt) in 2018, and his cherished son, Richard in 2025.

Jay was born December 21, 1923 on the Johnson family farm outside of Stockton, IL. He was the son of Lauren and Helen (Lawfer) Johnson and the brother of Nelda, Robert, Paul, and Joan, all of whom predeceased him. He attended a one-room schoolhouse and later graduated from Stockton High School in 1942. He and Shirley married in Milwaukee, WI on July 16, 1949. After an initial stint in Washington, DC, where Jay was stationed at Walter Reed Hospital, they settled in Menomonee Falls where they raised their family.

Jay graduated from the Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science in 1953 and joined his father-in-law, Willmer G. Schmidt, in the family firm of A. A. Schmidt & Sons Funeral Home, a precursor of Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral and Cremation Service. Jay was managing director of the firm's funeral homes in Menomonee Falls and Sussex, WI until his retirement in 1986.

Jay was active in community affairs and served on many local boards, including Menomonee Falls Chamber of Commerce, North Hills Country Club, F & M Bank, Germantown Mutual Insurance Company, Germantown Marine Bank, Tri County YMCA, and the Foundation Board of Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church. He was a charter member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Menomonee Falls, founded in 1956. He was a 33rd degree Mason and a member of Lincoln Lodge No. 183 in Menomonee Falls for over 70 years.

Jay obtained his pilot's license and instrument rating in the 1960s and piloted a Cessna Skywagon and later a twin engine aircraft for funeral home business and transport.

Jay also enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he followed the Milwaukee Bucks, the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers, and of course, the Green Bay Packers. But the game of golf was his passion. Jay was an avid and accomplished golfer since the 1950s. He teed up for the first Vince Lombardi Golf Classic at North Hills Country Club in 1971 and he got a kick out of meeting the celebrity players and Packers; he claims to have coached Max McGee on his short game. He was a member of the Senior Golf Association of Wisconsin, won numerous awards and trophies in tournaments throughout the state, and was 1989 Senior Veteran Champion. He shot a score of 76 when he was 80 years old. In his 90s, he claimed to stop counting his lifetime holes-in-one because they were so numerous. Jay was still perfecting his putt at age 100 and actively followed the Golf Channel until his last week on Earth.

In retirement, Jay and Shirley divided their time between the family cottage on Pine Lake near Clintonville, WI and their condo on Florida's Gulf Coast. Never one to just sit around, Jay worked as a starter and ranger well into his 90s at various golf clubs in Naples, FL, including Grey Oaks, Collier's Reserve, and La Playa.

In 2022, Jay rode out the devastating Hurricane Ian in his 9th floor beachfront Florida condo at the age of 98. Rather than abide by evacuation orders, he hunkered down, watched his car float away, lived for two days without electricity, and then walked a mile with a duffle bag of his belongings to a rescue checkpoint. His children were grateful that he survived the storm and that the Good Lord saw fit to take away his car keys, thereby relieving them of that task.

Jay's long life spanned plowing a farm field with a team of horses to scheduling a tee time on his iPhone. He was a charming and impatient man, with a dry sense of humor, a strong work ethic, a lead foot, and a great head of hair. Jay's family celebrates his long and eventful life, and we wish him a good game on those heavenly links with Mom and Rick.

Private interment in Washington County Memorial Park, West Bend, WI.

A special thank you to the staff at Elysian Senior Homes of Lake City and St. Croix Hospice.