Darin James Johnson

Darin James Johnson, 61, of Gardner, Kansas, left this earthly plane on August 18, 2024. He was born February 27, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan to Melvin (Mel) and Yvonne (Vonnie) (Trudeau) Johnson who preceded him in death.

An only child, Darin figured out early on that this was a pretty good gig. Mel and Vonnie doted on Darin in the “old school” way, providing three squares but otherwise not really noticing where he was the rest of the day. Darin was a “free-range kid” before that was a thing. This freestyle life and the unwavering, vocal love and support of his parents instilled a confidence in Darin shaping his life.

This lifestyle had its perils in youth. One time, a “friend” shot him in the back with a Roman candle as he tried to run away. The glowing, sticky hot ember stuck to Darin’s’ back as he rolled to extinguish it. He carried the small, circular scars on his back for life. He never told his parents. That went against the code. Darin was a code guy.

Like a good Catholic boy, Darin attended Our Lady of Good Counsel grade school. If history provides an indication, he ignored much of that good counsel.

A natural athlete, Darin led his baseball and basketball grade school teams as well as the rec football team as a star quarterback. For real, he was really good!

Darin was a scrappy basketball player, and on the diamond never hesitated to brush you back at the plate, run you over at home to score, or take you out at second base preventing the double play. Then he wanted to be your best bud after the game. Very annoying!

Darin took his talents to Dearborn Divine Child High School, becoming the starting quarterback as a sophomore on a league championship team. At Michigan State University football camp, he won Best Quarterback honors amidst players from all over the region. This confused everyone, mostly Darin. He served as a football captain as a senior.

Darin matriculated to Albion College graduating in four years, again further confusing everyone. Fun fact: Darin made the Albion College baseball squad and started two years on a championship team – after never playing baseball in high school! Yup, just skipped all that, showed up and insinuated himself onto the team.

His academic honors follow:

[This space left blank on purpose]

Darin joined Ford Motor Company out of college, working there 22 years. He became too big for cars and evolved to heavy trucks at MHC Company Kenworth and then Kriete Truck Centers. A natural salesman, he sold hundreds of millions of dollars of product over the years, leaving a wake of customers, peers and subordinates wondering, “Is that guy my new best friend,” while confusing and humbling HR departments in a time before one would get sacked for telling off-color jokes or enjoying work parties a bit too much.

Darin met Rachel Nosbisch in 2001. They fell in love, married and proceeded to make babies in record time. Four kids in 6 years or something crazy like that. Way to go Darin. Sorry Rachel.

Darin loved snow skiing, making many trips to the Rocky Mountains while privately wishing he was a better skier. Let’s face it, he was a groomer guy. He was OK in the moguls but never mastered that loose hip thingy. Powder? Not so much. He was a gamer and it was cute to watch him try. He wore a one-piece purple suit WAY too long after it was de rigueur in the early 90s. But it kept him warm like an old blankey and he was kind of cheap and never one for appearances. While he was a good skier, Darin shined in the in the après-ski field, a true master. All who ventured on ski trips with Darin hold precious memories.

Darin adored Michigan football to an embarrassing degree. How much Michigan swag can one man have? He had a beloved dog named Blue and wanted another so he could name it Maize. Really? Each season started with “I’m not getting too excited this year,” which lasted until the Big Ten schedule began and he was off the rails. Dad Mel was the same so he came genetically predisposed. What did Michigan football ever provide beyond countless hours of excitement, total engagement with like-minded friends and family, a focus to take his mind off the challenges of the day and oh yeah - a friggin’ NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS LIFE!! GO BLUE! (That exclamation point could not have been typed any harder on the keyboard. It’s still recovering).

Darin was a fierce supporter of the Olathe West Owls (the kids’ high school), and The Crush baseball team he helped start and coached and still operates today, bigger and better than ever. He not only made attending his kids’ events a priority, he made time for their friends’ events. They all loved Darin as a supportive, positive, LOUD force to be reckoned with in the stands who knew everyone’s name. The man loved sports and he loved kids.

Darin found his happy place at the family Lake House. His perfect afternoon involved the kids and some friends; get up, go wipe the boat down, check her out; make breakfast and do all the dishes and wipe the kitchen down; give the boat a wipe, load up the crew and proceed to terrorize young and old by (allegedly) towing them just a bit too fast on sometimes airborne inflatables. Then, maybe straighten up the boat while everyone chilled in the water anchored in a cove, pull her into dock, gather all the trash and give her a quick wipe and maybe get the handheld vacuum out. Maybe some polish to protect from the sun

Our boy was a bit OCD.

All these passions paled in comparison to his ultimate focus: family. Darin is survived by Cash (17), PJ (17),Tripp (15) and Drew (13) and, of course, their mother Rachel. If it’s possible to love your kids too much, Darin stands guilty on all counts.

Darin loved coaching and watching Cash play flag football, baseball, and basketball. They accumulated many memories watching the Wolverines, Lions and Red Wings together and attending Michigan football games each year. Darin hated fantasy football but when Cash became interested, he was all in so they could participate together. .

PJ and Dad had a strong morning tradition of going to The Tumbleweed for breakfast. It was their thing Darin cherished, PJ with a stack of pancakes and Darin with his coffee. He supported and encouraged PJ as he evolved and grew in his love for art, animation, and writing as well as curating super-bad movies whose names cannot be uttered but somehow provided joy and giggles for the whole family to watch.

Tripp and Darin loved fireworks at the lake, spending time together with the dogs, and Darin showing Tripp inappropriate George Carlin comedy shows. They exclaimed “We rock! Yeah!” as a mantra and said, “I love you” every time they hung up the phone or left each other.

Darin passed his love of music and wealth of musical knowledge onto his youngest Drew. They attended concerts and musicals together like Train, Guns N’ Roses, and Jesus Christ Superstar, naming just a few. He allegedly bought Drew whatever she requested, including Harley Quinn stripper boots that no 7 year old should wear, a gold choker displaying the word “Puddin”, and a number of wigs. (His Dad of the Year award is currently under official review in light of these revelations).

He loved them fiercely, and SO wanted them to be happy. All his efforts bent in that direction.
An outward-facing person, Darin made hard, inward-facing decisions backed up with the work. He quit drinking alcohol over three years ago. Stock of Miller Lite immediately plummeted and still struggles to recover. Sobriety formed a great struggle and accomplishment and he proudly shared his AA chips as he earned them. His sobriety became another passion and he gleefully supported others on that path. Sober Darin became an expanded Darin. His heart grew, his passions grew and his humility grew.

Tragically, something else was growing: cancer. Doctors diagnosed an aggressive sarcoma in his right foot. Amputation mid-shin formed the only option to stop the spread. Darin approached losing his foot like everything else: wholeheartedly, with humor and accepting the support of his tribe.

He’d make typical Dad jokes like, “If I was a girl, you could call me Eileen. Get it? I lean.” Or say, “Hey, I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other,” and wait for you to acknowledge the irony. “The doctors say I’m a very sick man. They have no idea.” With humor and pure grit, he weathered the procedures, the healing and the prosthetic foot process as he refused to be sidelined from his life. He served as an inspiration to many.

But the cancer kept coming, popping up in unpredictable and - according to the doctors- unprecedented places. They had not seen this type of cancer spread to these type of locations. (Darin joked that he always knew he was “special.”). While enduring another round of chemo, he unexpectedly suffered a stroke while at the Lake House. He never fully recovered. His body and soul had had enough.

In classic Darin fashion, he rallied to consciousness long enough to say hello to family and friends, say more “I love yous”, tell more jokes and, yes, confuse and confound medical staff.

Darin’s biggest fear was “leaving the kids behind.” That said, he came to peace with that reality primarily because of the strength and love of their mother, Rachel, but also the extended family, his close group of friends and a wider community caring deeply about his family. He knew they’d be supported. He knew they’d be alright. Just a different alright.

While the earthly man is gone, a deep well of memories and love remain. Darin was a memory making machine with love as his fuel. He will be remembered, missed and grieved by many, the ultimate sign of a life well-lived.

Godspeed Dear Friend and Father.

Darin’s Celebration of Life

Date:Saturday, September 21, 2024
Time: 1:00-6:00pm

Location:
The Highland Room at Saint Andrews Golf Club, 11099 W 135th St, Overland Park, KS 66221.

Gather and celebrate Darin‘s life in a way he would love. Feel free to come anytime between 1-6 pm. Below is a rough timeline of the event. And yes, there is a Michigan Football game involved.

1-1:30: Friends and family arrive at Saint Andrews Golf Club.
1:30-2:30: Eulogy and Tributes to Darin.
2:30-6:00: Watch the Michigan vs USC game, enjoy food & drink, indulge in some candy & dessert (all Darin’s favorites), reminisce over pictures & a slide show that will include some of Darin’s great & maybe not so great moments, and share your favorite memories of DJ with all his friends & family.

To leave a message of condolence for Darin's family or to share a special memory of him, please visit the guestbook below.