Obituary of Eugene Laurence Johnson

Eugene (Gene) L. Johnson passed away peacefully at NC Little Hospice, Edina with his loving family at this side, on October 19, 2024.

He was preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Claribel Johnson, his brother Marvin Johnson, and daughter in law Robin Johnson. He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 64 years, sons Mark (Holly), Ben, Christopher, grandsons Nicholas and Wyatt, all of Minneapolis, sister June Holmquist, of Appleton, WI, and five nephews.

Gene was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and dear friend who will be missed by all.

He will be remembered for his unwavering integrity, intellect, attention to detail, kindness, generosity, warm smile, and genuine respect for other people.

Gene was born in Wisconsin Rapids, where he recalled many fond memories during his childhood and developed an appreciation for his violin teacher and spent summers as a lifeguard. He went on to become a passionate & loyal Badger fan, graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with degrees in Civil Engineering and Juris Doctor. He was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity, served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as Captain and was President of Chi Phi Fraternity. Later he served on the Board of the University of Wisconsin Foundation and was an avid supporter of UW Men’s Varsity Crew and Porter Boathouse.

Upon graduating from law school, Gene had a long and distinguished 36-year career practicing Intellectual Property (IP) law in San Francisco (Mellin, Hanscom & Hursh, 2 years) and Minneapolis (Dorsey Whitney, 34 years) as partner, retiring in 1998. He chaired the IP department at Dorsey, was past president of the IP Law Association and founded the IP class at William Mitchell Law School, where he taught as an associate professor.

A perennial member of the Minneapolis Athletic Club, Gene enjoyed playing handball and developed many friendships on and off the court. Gene was also very proud of his Swedish heritage. He and Barbara traveled to Sweden to see his Grandparents homestead and met the King and Queen when they were there. He was also an ardent supporter of the American Swedish Institute (ASI) and was elected to its Board of Directors.

Gene was a solid human being. He led his life by example. He never complained, had an innate sense of right and wrong and lived his life as a strong peaceful warrior. We will forever carry a part of his spirit in our hearts, wherever we go.

A private family service is planned. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the American Swedish Institute as an expression of sympathy and appreciation.