Leo Daniel Johnson
Oct. 1, 1944-March 26, 2023
Palo Alto, CA
Leo Daniel Johnson October 1, 1944 - March 26, 2023
Leo Daniel Johnson, a long-time resident of Palo Alto, California, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of March 26, 2023, after suffering from a brain aneurysm three months prior.
Leo was born in Houston, Texas, on October 1, 1944. One of seven children, he spent his childhood living first in the Fifth Ward and then in Pleasantville. He, his siblings, and his friends would spend many hours playing outside and having fun, in particular playing in a local pipe yard. When it came time for school, Leo and all the Black children in the neighborhood were bussed out of Pleasantville to a small school called Oats Prairie Elementary School, located on a ranch, in a small building in a cow pasture! The bus passed an all-White school where White children threw rocks as the bus drove by.
Leo loved sports starting as far back as he could remember. At E.O. Smith Junior High School, he played football, basketball, and track and was a top athlete, making All-City in all three sports. At Phillis Wheatley High School, he continued to excel, achieving All-State honors in all three sports. After high school, he was offered numerous collegiate scholarships in each of these sports. Although being one of the first Black athletes to receive an offer from Baylor University, he chose instead to attend Tennessee State University, a historic Black University, where he would major in Health and Physical Education and minored in American History. With Leo as their team captain, Tennessee State won two national championships, and Leo was named All-American twice. After college, Leo was drafted in 1968 by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round and proudly wore #81 as a wide receiver. He was one of the first 49ers to play in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In 1970, the 49ers won the Western Division title, and Leo was especially proud of the contribution he made to achieving the NFL’s highest award. Later, he would play for the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings, winning an Eastern Division championship with them. He ended his football career with the Houston Texans of the World Football League.
On July 16, 2016, Leo was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Prairie View Interscholastic League Coaches Association in San Antonio, Texas. On November 8, 2017, Leo was inducted into the Phillis Wheatley Wall of Fame in Houston.
After the NFL, Leo worked as a public safety officer at Stanford University before moving on to work for KTI Chemicals, a subsidiary of Union Carbide, as their Safety & Security Manager. While there, he became the sole representative on the West Coast Emergency Response Team and was often sent out to investigate toxic chemical accidents.
His devotion to children also led him to become a counselor at San Francisco Juvenile Hall.
In the early 1990s, Leo served as a deputy sheriff for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Corrections. He was well-liked by everyone, including the people in custody who respected him for the respect he gave them. He retired after 16 years with the department. While working for Santa Clara County, he also served as a reserve sheriff for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, especially enjoying assignments that placed him patrolling the coast.
After his career in law enforcement, his love of football called him back to coaching local high school and college teams (De Anza College). Ever active, Leo spent his later years working as a strength trainer at the Palo Alto YMCA. His friendly nature made everyone feel important, and he was deeply saddened when COVID forced him to fully retire.
More than anything else, Leo always loved spending time with friends and family. He was a well-loved member of the community and was very popular with young and old alike. His big laugh always made people smile. (Some have even said they will miss his big sneezes!!) He loved to tell jokes, watch football and basketball games with friends, and tell stories about his football days. For a number of years (1976-1980s), he was ranked one of the top racquetball players in the Bay Area. After tournaments, friends would follow him home for a barbeque and numerous rounds of Jack Daniels! He gained quite a reputation for his barbequing skills and for his secret recipe for ribs, a secret that remained a mystery even after many begged for the recipe. His love for barbequing continued for the rest of his life. Leo is survived by his wife (38 years) and partner (47 years), Kristen Lohnes Johnson; their two children, Darius and Natasha Johnson; his son from his first marriage, Leo Johnson and his wife Angel Johnson; two granddaughters, Angelice and Dominique; one great-grandson, Zane; in Houston, his brother Cullen Jack Johnson and his wife Rose Johnson; and many nieces, nephews and extended family. A celebration of his life will be held 12 Noon-6 pm on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Ventura School at 3990 Ventura Court in Palo Alto. A Go-Fund-Me account has been set up to help the family with expenses and the celebration of his life: https://gofund.me/15bc03ff
If you will be attending, it would be appreciated if you let us know how many people will be joining you. You can email Kristen at graffikdezine@comcast.net. In lieu of flowers, please donate to: In Memory of Leo D. Johnson Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center (CTE) Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine 72 East Concord Street, Suite B-7800 Boston MA 02118
Tags: sports, public service
