Eric L. Johnson

If you knew Eric Johnson, you knew two things almost immediately.

First, he was smart. Sometimes annoyingly so.

Second, despite his analytical nature, he quietly lived by Ebenezer Scrooge's promise: "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

Eric was born on October 15, 1963, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Edward and Doris Johnson. He grew up with his older brother, Ted, and his younger sister, Leslie, developing the curiosity, dry wit, and independent streak that would define him for the rest of his life.

He graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1981, attended the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and later earned his degree in Computer Science from the University of Nebraska - Omaha.

Long before technology became part of everyone's daily life, Eric was fascinated by it. Computers weren't just machines to him. They were puzzles. He loved understanding how things worked, why they broke, and how they could be made better. If there was a complicated problem, Eric usually figured it out, often before anyone else realized there was a problem to solve.

As remarkable as his mind was, the people who loved him will tell you that his heart was even more remarkable.

In October 2005, Eric met Karen Loftis. What started as a conversation quickly became the realization that they had found someone who spoke the same language - not just of technology or ideas, but of humor, loyalty, curiosity, and unconditional acceptance. They were married on July 2, 2006, and enjoyed almost 20 years of adventures together.

Home became wherever Karen and their cats happened to be. Omaha. Overland Park. Grafton. It wasn't the address that mattered. It was the life they built together.

Eric was private. He never wanted to be the center of attention. But if you earned a place in his life, you had it for good. He was loyal, dependable, and quietly generous in ways many people never knew about.

He loved music. His collection crossed decades and genres, with rock and bluegrass always close at hand. Songs weren't background noise. They marked vacations, concerts, long drives, milestones, and ordinary Tuesday evenings. Eric understood that music doesn't simply remind us of life - it preserves pieces of it.

Eric is survived by his wife, Karen Loftis; his brother, Edward "Ted" Johnson and his wife Patty Carbulido Johnson; his sister, Leslie Johnson Pujo and her husband Jean-Luc Pujo; his mother-in-law, Frances Loftis; his sisters-in-law, Nancy Loftis and Sandy Loftis Weihs and her husband Larry; his nephews and niece, Jacob, Jaime, and Josh Johnson; Rebecca and Daniel Pujo; Connor Weihs; his beloved cats, Marius and Eponine; and many dear friends and extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Doris Johnson; his father-in-law, Alan Loftis; and many family cats, including Lilly and Mags.

Those who loved Eric will remember his brilliant mind, his dry wit, and his unwavering loyalty. They'll remember the guy who could fix almost anything, explain almost everything, and somehow still be moved to tears by the right song, the right story, or the people he loved.

A private family service and Celebration of Life gatherings will be held at later dates in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and in Nebraska.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Eric’s memory are encouraged to give memorial gifts to causes he supported: Harvesters International (https://www.harvesters.org/how-to-help/donate); Ozaukee County Food Alliance (https://ozaukeefoodalliance.org/donate-now/); the V Foundation for Cancer Research ( https://www.v.org/); or cause of your choosing.