David E. Johnson

David E. Johnson, age 84, of Hudsonville, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Dave was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he later made his home in West Michigan. He attended Upsala College in New Jersey, where he earned his degree in Geology.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Evan and Christine Johnson; sister, Nancy Hetrick; and sister-in-law, Linda Skoda.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 36 years, Gail Johnson; children, Charles Johnson, Mark and Diane Johnson; Chris and Jeff Kocsis, Cheri and Dave McConomy, Kevin and Deb Meschke, Keith Meschke, 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Roger Hetrick, Dave and Mary Bartloff, Bill and Lorrie Bartloff, and many nieces and nephews. 

Dave began his heavy equipment career in Chicago, working in the heavy machinery field before proudly serving his country in the U.S. Army. Following his service, he continued his career in the heavy equipment industry, eventually retiring in North Carolina.

While living in the UP in the  early years after graduating from Upsala he lived and worked in the copper mines of Upper Michigan. From there he lived and worked in the Chicago area and in Benton Harbor Michigan at Clark Equipment Company where he affiliated with Volvo Heavy Equipment Co  and where he met his wife, Gail. He was later transferred to Cleveland, Ohio and he and Gail were married and lived in Madison, Ohio until being transferred to Asheville NC. where he completed his career with Volvo. Moving back to Michigan they moved to Hudsonville, Michigan for the last few years.

While living in Michigan Dave became a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and spent many a summer night out on the water, helping stranded boaters. After retirement, Dave and his wife, Gail, relocated to West Michigan to be closer to family and to enjoy making lasting memories with their grandchildren. A true handyman, Dave loved to tinker and could often be found working on projects around the house. In his spare time, he enjoyed chasing steam engine trains, woodworking, and gardening. He was able to work his way up to engineer for the Coopersville and Marne Railway.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home (Grandville) 4145 Chicago Dr. SW with Rev. Steve Schamber officiating. Relatives and friends may visit with the family on Wednesday from 10:30 - 11:00 am at the funeral home prior to the service. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Wyoming, MI.