Matthew Paul Johnson

Johnson, Matthew Paul
of Portage, Michigan Matt Johnson passed away while hiking on Mt Fuji in Japan on January 14th, 2012; he was 33 years old at the time. He was missing until June 7th, 2012. Matt was born on April 16th, 1978 in Kalamazoo, the son of Jerry and Sherri Johnson. He will be missed by his immediate family which includes his parents, sisters and brothers in-law Holli and Ben Karrer, Tanya and Gerry Wescott and Suzi and Steven Weldon, and nieces Jenna, Lauren and Alyssa Karrer and soon to be nephew Wescott. Matt is also survived by his grandmothers Helen Johnson and Mary Klok, 20 aunts and uncles, 43 cousins and a large number of extended cousins, great aunts and uncles in the families of Johnson, Ellis, Stender, Talanda, Woodhams, and Klok, friends and coworkers. Matt attended 1st through 12th grade at Kalamazoo First Assembly Christian School and graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in computer engineering. He was employed in the Hybrid division of Eaton Corporation in Galesburg and attended Kalamazoo Valley Family Church. Matt is a Christian who is now in heaven with Jesus. He enjoyed Hybrid cars and worked on them as a hobby as well as for a career at the Eaton Corporation. He loved his family and enjoyed sports and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, water skiing, snow skiing, camping, backpacking, swimming, running and photographing sunsets. He loved adventure and seeing new places and would often plan weekend adventures when traveling on business. Matt loved to travel and had visited China, France, the Netherlands, Jamaica and all over the US on outdoor adventures. He was on one such adventure in January 2012 in Japan where he was hiking Mt Fuji. When Matt's camera was found, the pictures revealed his hike all the way up to the summit of Mt Fuji and the beautiful sunset that he captured from the top of the mountain. There will be a celebration of Matt's life where members of his family will speak at Kalamazoo First Assembly Church 5550 Oakland Drive at 7pm on Tuesday July 24th. It is not a funeral, his remains will not be there, and dress is casual or come as you are.