Hollis Ralph Johnson Obituary (1928 - 2019)

Hollis Ralph Johnson, 90, died peacefully on April 15, 2019, in Brigham City, Utah, following a brief illness. He was surrounded by his beloved family at his passing. Hollis was born on December 2, 1928, to E. Lewis and Ida Martha (Hansen) Johnson in Garland, Utah. He was the fourth of seven children and grew up working hard on the family farm. It was during the dark, starry nights there that his love of astronomy was sparked. Hollis was a valedictorian at Bear River High School in 1947. Following graduation, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Danish Mission from 1948 to 1951. From 1951 to 1953, during the Korean War, Hollis served in the US Army, rising to the rank of corporal. For most of that time, he was based in Germany as a member of the Message Corps. When furloughs were granted, he often returned to Denmark, where he met the love of his life, Grete Margit Leed. Hollis and Grete were married on June 3, 1954, in the Salt Lake City Temple. They were blessed with six children, three daughters and three sons. With his children, he enjoyed playing and working, hiking through the woods of Indiana collecting geodes, and sharing his love of Indiana basketball. Hollis completed bachelor's and master's degrees in physics at Brigham Young University and a doctorate degree in astrogeophysics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After postdoctoral stints at the Paris Observatory and Yale University, he accepted a position in the astronomy department at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where he became a full professor and twice served as department chairman. After 32 years of teaching and research there, he retired in 1994. He served in many positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including bishop; stake president; and counselor in the Louisville, Kentucky Temple presidency. With Grete he also served three 18-month missions, the first to Copenhagen, Denmark; the second to Accra, Ghana; and the third to Beijing, China. He is survived by four sisters: Barbra (Wynn) Tingey, Lola (Willard) Christensen, Shirleen (Don) Anderson, and Nacele (Harold) Hart; his six children: Carol, Wayne, Lyle (Janell), Charlotte, Lise (Roger), and Richard (Carrie); 24 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren. Hollis was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Stanley and DeVerl; and Grete. Funeral services will be Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 2:00 pm Myers Mortuary at 205 S. 100 E., Brigham City, UT. Viewings will be Friday, April 19, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Saturday from 12:00 to 1:40 pm at the Mortuary. Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery. VisitationMyers Mortuary of Brigham City 205 South 100 East Brigham City, UT 84302 April 19, 2019 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM VisitationMyers Mortuary of Brigham City 205 South 100 East Brigham City, UT 84302 April 20, 2019 12:00 PM - 1:40 PM ServiceMyers Mortuary of Brigham City 205 South 100 East Brigham City, UT 84302 April 20, 2019 2:00 PM