Duane Richard Johnson

Duane Richard Johnson passed away June 26,2022, at the VA Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, following a short hard-fought battle with small cell lung cancer, just 10 days short of his 70th birthday. He graduated from Blair High School in 1970 and continued his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Agricultural Journalism. He was most proud of being a member of the Wisconsin State Employees Union. He served as Acting Secretary Treasurer of Local 91 Catchall Unit. He served as Acting Corresponding Secretary of Local 91 Catchall Unit. When necessary he served as Acting Local Treasurer of Wisconsin State Employees Local 15 Wisconsin Boys School. He was Local Delegate to the American Federation State County and Municipal Employees in 1996, to the Chicago convention and president of Local 15 from 1994-1996, and a delegate to the South-Central Federation of Labor. He served his country as a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard for more than 20 years. He was mobilized and attached to Operation Iraqi Freedom III. He was also attached to Task Force Liberty, the largest callup of the National Guard since WWII. At the time of his retirement from the National Guard he was a Staff Sergeant. He was a defender of the weak. While delivering papers as an adult carrier, he stopped a kidnapping of a young woman until police arrived. As a teen he would step in to stop the bullying of another child. His political beliefs were strong and deep. He was always a champion for the underprivileged and was always up for a debate of political views. He was a paper carrier from the time he was a young boy until after he retired from the State of Wisconsin. When he was young he was a carrier for The St Paul Pioneer Press and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As an adult he was a carrier for the Wisconsin State Journal and Capital Times. He was an avid sports fan from the time he was a child. When he was in high school he was the manager for the high school sports teams. As an adult he followed the Wisconsin Badgers and all the Wisconsin pro-teams. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hilma (Annala) and Richard Johnson, and his sister Sharon Johnson. Duane is survived by his sisters; Carol Johnson of Prairie du Sac Wisconsin and Elizabeth (Michael) Bradley of Sauk City Wisconsin; nieces Cassandra, Emily, Teresa, and Sara Bradley; and nephew Matthew Bradley. A memorial service is planned for Saturday August 6, 2022 at 11AM at Zion Lutheran Church in Blair Wisconsin. There will be a lunch after the service. He prayed to God He raised his hand He volunteered He paid his Taxes In the end he got right with God and his country.