In Memory of Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson, amateur cyclist, guitar lover and our family's #1 cook, passed away on Sunday morning and is sharing his favorite recipes with a new family, now.

He was born in Ohio and spent much of his youth relocating often as his father served in the military and was transferred as often as it was ordered.  

He wound up in Phoenix and made it his home. Many people may have met Scott over the years as he served at some of the best restaurants in the valley.  He was always striving to give the best possible service that a customer could ever hope to receive. This talent turned many of his customers into friends and made his life very full of people who appreciated what he carried in his heart. 

Though his profession was on the serving end of the food industry, his talents in the kitchen were far better than most.  His creations were always a welcomed sight at family gatherings, group get-togethers, and for functions that anyone in his extended family happened to be a part of.  His taste and expertise in wine was also something that set him apart from the crowd, in a lot of situations.  Very few things made him more proud than to be able to match the perfect wine to a family meal and watch as the guests all enjoyed what he had put together.

Scott was also an avid cyclist in the area and maintained a level of fitness that most of us long for, but few have the discipline to achieve.   He rode often, although not as often as he may have liked, sometimes.  Friends who rode with him will remember him as someone who truly loved the sport and will be miss his determination and humor.

His love for woodworking also developed as a hobby and became somewhat of a new love for him.  He had an eye for creating from raw material and was a stickler for making each project the best it could be.  This attention to detail was a constant thread in much of his life's endeavors.

Guitars came to him later in life than for some and he took to them like a child to a new bicycle. He won his first guitar at the Tarbell's Annual Holiday party. Learning to play was a challenge that he met with excitement, enthusiasm and a burn that seemed to almost engulf him, at times.  He loved a quality instrument and the walls of his guitar room were decorated with some of his most prized possessions.  Being able to share this love with several of his family members was something he enjoyed beyond words.  Many times, at holidays or birthdays, you could find him sharing something new on his guitars with nieces and other close friends in the room that held his music.

He is survived by the love of his life, an incredible lady with whom he had shared his life and love with for the past 23 years, Lynne Carpenter, his mother Pat Johnson, sister Sherri Lamas and two nieces.  

Any donation in memory of Scott can  be made to Hospice of the Valley  (Gardiner House)  as they were an incredible comfort in the last hours of Scott's time here, or an organization for Pancreatic Cancer Research.