Leonard Johnson

Leonard Earl Johnson passed peacefully on the morning of July 22, 2025 In La Junta, Colorado. He was 83 years old.

Leonard was born in Peoria, Illinois on October 26, 1941 to Henry and Carrie Johnson. He grew up on a farm outside of Bartonville, Illinois and graduated from Limestone High School. He was a proud Teamster and drove trucks for a living; semi trucks across the country, earth moving trucks to build dams, construction trucks to build highways to name but a few. He followed commodity and stock markets closely and enjoyed following politics, current events, and football.

In 1981, Leonard moved his family - wife Linda (Breedlove) and children, Eric Johnson and Maureen Johnson (Rikhof) - to the mountains of Colorado. The family lived in Ouray, Colorado for the next 15 years before Linda joined him moving and adventuring around the country, following jobs and opportunities to visit new places. Linda and Leonard lived in Hemet and Anaheim, California before returning to Colorado in 2006, joining Eric and his family in Wray, Colorado. In November of 2024, Leonard and Linda moved to La Junta, Colorado where Maureen lives.

Leonard had many, many friends who all have stories about his sense of humor, pranks and fishing successes. He had fun hunting, snowmobiling, playing baseball, and always had techniques that he was working on for catching his next lunker bass. Leonard and Linda enjoyed nearly two decades living in their motorhome, making many epic journeys with the most memorable being to Alaska in the summer of 2005, spending 4 months on the road and seeing bears, salmon, moose, sunrises and sunsets.

Seven grandkids called him Papa; Henry Ediger (Washington, DC), Harper Barthel (St. Louis, MO), Taylor Johnson (Wray, CO), Jansen Ediger (La Junta, CO), Everett Ediger (La Junta, CO), Cora Johnson (Wray, CO) and Kolt Johnson (Wray, CO) all have memories of Papa taking them fishing, telling them stories about farming, or using various tricks to get them to turn the other way so he could steal some of their pie. He loved all of them and told them often how proud he was.

Leonard celebrated 55 years of marriage to Linda (Breedlove) Johnson on June 13. He loved to tell the story of being set up on a blind date with Linda by one of his fishing buddies. They married in 1970 in First English Lutheran Church in Peoria, Illinois and celebrated at a wedding reception that friends and family still remember as being joyous and HOT. Eric was born in 1972, Maureen was born in 1974 and Leonard was a proud father; attending many sporting events and school functions supporting their interests and hobbies.

Nieces and nephews remember Uncle Leonard for his kindness and sense of humor. John, Lester, Shirley, Carol, Marilyn, Mark, Marla, Daryl, Gary, Larry, Laurie, Allison, Justin, Chad and Ryan all played an important part in his life and he had wonderful memories that he enjoyed recounting right until his very last days.

Leonard is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Carrie, and his brothers, Delmer and Leland. He is survived by his wife Linda, both Eric and Maureen, and his brother Bernard of Plainfield, Illinois.

A service to remember Leonard and celebrate his life will be planned to take place in Illinois later this year. Contributions in his memory can be sent to Ark Valley Hospice https://www.arkvalleyhospice.org/ Also, do know, that the best way you can let his family know that you were touched by Leonard’s life is to share a story or picture with the family.

Online condolences may be made at www.PeacockFH.com. Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.