Obituary of Jacob Eric Johnson

Jacob Eric “Olds” Johnson July 20, 1955--November 13, 2011. You are a good man with a huge heart. We will miss you forever. Eric lived with his nephew Steve Snider and retired from Boeing in 2010. He is survived by his brother Chris and his sisters Jeannie, Johnnie, Kathy, and Aileen. He is preceded in death by his father Arthur Johnson, his mother Ruthmarie Swolgaard, and his brother Harold "Emo" Johnson. See more at Most of us knew Jacob as Eric, which he preferred. He was also known as “gr8rnd1” and “Olds” by his many online gaming friends. Although born in Bellingham Washington, Eric moved all around the state with his family. He went to school and/or lived in Bellingham, Custer, Colville, Lynden, Bothell, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. He later spent time in the Job Corps in Curlew and studied electronics at Devry University in Arizona. He also lived in Kent, North Seattle, and Pacific. As a child and teenager, Eric and his siblings made money during the summer picking strawberries, raspberries, and apples. He taught his younger brother Chris how make a strawberry chucker by tying a knot in the end of a strawberry vine, threading berries onto it and swinging it above his head until giving it one final whip which would send the berries flying off to some unsuspecting recipient. In the mid 1970’s he worked in an Electronics repair shop in Phoenix, where he learned to do minor repairs on Televisions. In the early Eighties, Eric travelled to Alaska to work in canneries in Kodiak and Ketchikan. He spent some time as a telemarketer which he was very good at as he had a great voice and a friendly manner on the phone. But Boeing was his career. He worked as an assembly mechanic at the Boeing plant one and Auburn plant for close to 25 years. He was a member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO District 751 and acted as a safety focal in the shop. He had donations to the Boeing Employee Community Fund and the Museum of flight taken out of every paycheck. Eric loved to read throughout his life. Some of the authors currently found on his Kindle are Louis L’Amour, Jean M. Auel, and Anne McCaffrey. Eric liked to ride motorcycles when he was younger. He owned a dirt bike at one point and would amaze (and frighten) people when they would see his rather large frame speeding by on the trail. He also owned a Honda Goldwing 1000cc street bike that he loved. He also enjoyed music. Eric sang and played the guitar well. He owned a Les Paul and a twelve string acoustic, but he was very proud of the Martin dreadnaught acoustic that he had recently purchased. Raised on country and rock and roll, he leaned more towards country music later in life. He listened to Toby Keith, Willie, Hank, and Johnny Cash to name a few. As far as songwriters go he especially liked John Prine, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, and Jimmy Buffet. Eric loved the intricacy and detail of Role Playing Games, specifically, Dungeons and Dragons. He spent many hours building characters and acting as a player as well as the dungeon master. He was a big fan of online games and computer games too. World of Warcraft, Everquest, and Big Fish Games were some that he played. He liked to go on trips to Nevada. He preferred Laughlin and Reno over Las Vegas. Although he wasn’t a “high roller” He was a good poker player and managed to get free rooms and such from the casinos. On one trip to Reno with his mother, a thief stole his mom’s coin bucket and Eric chased him down and tackled him. Mom said she didn’t know he could move so fast. He also loved the Painted Dessert in Arizona and planned on returning there one day soon. Eric often helped people who needed it. Whether it was giving them a place to stay or moral support he was there for people. He had a photograph of a woman in his desk and on the back of it was a note that reads: “To Eric, You are a true friend. Thank you for helping me see the beauty in myself. You are a special man! Thank you for your truth and insight. I am truly grateful. Deb”. A note on a Christmas card reads: “Eric, What can I say to someone who has done so much for my life? I Love You Man. Thank you for being you! Hope to see you soon. Love, your Patient”. Eric did not want any kind of memorial service and chose to be cremated. His family has honored his wishes.