On March 3, 2022, Kenneth T. Johnson Jr., 59, of Middletown, peacefully departed the world to join the angels above, after a long and valiant battle with brain cancer. Being a proud former Marine, he fought this monster with admirable and relentless courage and determination, never giving up, until taking his final breath.
Kenny was born in Long Branch and raised in Sea Bright. He attended Shore Regional High School, graduating in 1980, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps shortly thereafter, serving four years in Okinawa, Japan. Following his military discharge, he became a certified mechanic and was employed by Porsche-Audi and then Volvo for many years. Having a knack for repairing most anything, he was also employed as a plumber and in other areas of construction. If you are a follower of Jersey Shore bands, you would also certainly recognize him as the longtime outgoing sound technician for the popular Mike Dalton Band.
Kenny was a great lover of the ocean and river, and fishing was a lifetime hobby that he especially enjoyed sharing with his son, Kenneth. He was an enthusiast of all motor vehicles and delighted in long motorcycle rides on his Harley with his buddies. He was a devoted fan of classic rock music and could be found listening to Pandora regularly.
At heart, he was a big, fun-loving (goofball) kid and channeled that into gaming on his PlayStation on his down time. He lived every moment to the fullest and reveled in being surrounded by and making memories with those he loved most.
Perhaps the one word that best exemplifies Ken is “friend.” He always had a huge infectious smile for anyone he met and, if he saw you without one, he would do anything in his power to put one on your face. From his childhood to the present, if you were fortunate enough to befriend him, you had a loyal friend for life.
Kenny was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother Mae Hutton, his paternal grandparents, Lester and Anne Johnson, and both his mother and father-in-law, Donald and Mary Stevenson.
He is survived by the absolute love of his life, Michele Stevenson, who always stood by his side with unwavering love, care and devotion; his son Kenneth Stevenson; his daughter Rachael (David) Benn; his parents, Kenneth “Tom” and Elizabeth Johnson Sr.; his siblings, Thomas (Kathleen) Paulin, Teresa (Paul) Miller, Khristi (Rich) Jacobs, and Leslie Johnson; sisters-in-law MaryEllen Stevenson and Melissa (Rick) Stevenson; and goddaughter Georgia Bruyere. In addition, he is survived by three grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends too numerous to count.
You will be forever loved and missed. Soar high with the angels and be eternally at peace, until we all meet again.
In our dreams we’ll see you soaring by the sky,
In our hearts there’ll always be a place for you,
For all our lives,
We’ll keep a part of you with us,
And everywhere we are there you’ll be.
Services took place March 7 at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, Middletown. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kenny’s name to National Brain Tumor Society, at nbtsevents.braintumor.org/fundraiser/3749605.
The article originally appeared in the March 10 – 16, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
