Vince Johnson
AURORA — Vince Burke Johnson, 55, of Provo, dearly loved father, grandfather, son, brother and friend passed away at his residence May 28, 2021. Vince was born May 19, 1966, in Richfield, to Willard Burke Johnson and Anna Rae Taylor. Vince was a gifted, determined and hardworking athlete, excelling in basketball, baseball and track. He won the state pole vaulting championship two consecutive years, held the state record for a time and his mile relay team were also state champs. He attended Utah State University on a full ride track and field scholarship.
Vince spent the first 30 years of his life living the cowboy life that he loved so much, working on the family-owned Johnson Livestock Cattle Ranches. On weekends you could find him with his older two children, Beau and Sailor, enjoying the great outdoors in their beloved sheep camp (condo). He was always a jokester and was always making people laugh, whether it was teasing his children or antagonizing the bulls at the rodeo as a rodeo clown and bull fighter.
Vince served with great pride in the Aurora City Fire Department. He later in life became a professional heavy machine operator, mechanic and semi-truck driver. Vince was prompt to be on time and always early for everything he attended. He spent many years in bowling leagues and was always the first one warmed up and ready to go. He was very excited to show off his youngest daughter, ViLizeti to everyone he met and knew at the bowling alley. He once had a championship bowling tournament and was named the King of the Hill.
Vince was born with the disease epilepsy, which troubled and handicapped his life. It is a condition that was neither fully treatable nor understood. Medications used to treat, combat and control the disease caused an addiction. Many years of suffering were endured by himself as well as his family throughout his life because of addiction. Each seizure and addiction further weakened his body towards the end of his life. He and his loved ones climbed many steep mountains alone and together, because of these diseases.
Vince is survived by his three children, Beau Johnson, Provo; Sailor Shobe, Salt Lake; and ViLizeti Johnson, Washington; grandson, Greyson Johnson; brothers, Dave Johnson, Mark Johnson, and Josefa Naivaluwaqa; parents, Burke and Mereani Johnson, and Anna Rae Halverson; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews around the globe.
Vince’s favorite season was fall, he loved sitting by the bonfire on the ranch star gazing and hiking through the picturesque scenery. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations on behalf of Vince’s name to the Partnership to End Addiction foundation. In the words of Carl Bad “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, but anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
His love for the fall season has prompted us to schedule his memorial services and celebration of life on Saturday Oct. 2, 2021, at the Aurora City Building at 12:30 p.m. A luncheon for family and friends of Vince will be provided by Aurora City.
