Jeffrey Len Johnson

Jeffrey Len Johnson was a big man with a big heart. He lived and worked in the city he loved, Chicago, Illinois. Jeffrey was a self taught artist, fascinated with computers, a movie aficionado and a music lover. Jeffrey was the second child born to the union of James and Emma Johnson on March 5, 1958. Even as a small boy, he was determined to do what he wanted, even if it differed from the ideas and goals of his parents and teachers. Jeffrey waited until he and his sister were teenagers to reveal why he would often be home 'sick' as a child; by using the radiator to heighten his body temperature, Jeffrey always had a 'fever' when his mother would touch his forehead or stomach. As a little boy, Jeffrey was always doodling, sketching, or drawing in school when he should have been paying attention. In high school, a teacher from the art department encouraged him to take commercial art classes, but Jeffrey heard the beat of a different drummer and bristled at the thought of being told what to draw and when to draw it. Jeffrey enjoyed playing sports in high school and was on the wrestling and football teams. He turned down a scholarship to play college football and instead accepted an apprenticeship at U.S. Steel. When the steel mills closed, Jeffrey returned to school to further his education in computer programming. Jeffrey married Cherie Elan in 1984; the family was comprised of Jeffrey, Cherie, 3 year old LaShandra Smith and the arrival of Michelle Lyneice on March 15, 1985. An avid biker rider, he taught the girls to enjoy bicycling and the scenery that cycling afforded while riding through Hyde Park or one of the multiple museums on Lake Shore Drive. On January 31, 2012, Jeffrey Len Johnson fell asleep in death. He was preceded in death by his father, James Johnson. Jeffrey leaves to cherish his memory, his mother, Emma Johnson; his daughters, Michelle and LaShandra (Torrence) Rayfield and their children, Malik, Aja, Ezekiel and Ayanna; his sister, Janet (Linsley) Nash and their children, Kellyce Nash Chatman, Emma (Kerry) Jackson, Kathryn Nash and Eileen Nash; his great nephew, Marcus; his great-nieces, Lauryn, Alyssa, Mykhala and Lisa Anderson; and a host of cousins and friends.

Tributes

Jeffrey Len Johnson

March 5, 1958 - January 31, 2012