Joe A. Johnson, 66, of Fargo, ND died unexpectedly at home on March 13, 2025, from an underlying health condition. Joe was born to Jack and Viola Johnson on July 14, 1958, in Fargo, ND, as the youngest of 4 siblings. Joe’s three sisters were Julie (Stan), Vickey (Steve), and Holly (Leroy). Joe’s family roots were in the rural community of Buffalo, ND. It was this mixture of small town life and farming as a young man which laid the foundation for his lifelong philosophy that blended hard work, community involvement, and friendship.
Joe and his parents moved to Pelican Rapids, MN in 1974 where he attended high school and graduated in 1977. He remained steadfast friends with many of his high school classmates. Joe worked hard at several jobs including traveling harvest crews and meat packing. Joe then became a lineman and worked for several years putting up powerlines in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. In 1982, Joe survived a life-threatening powerline accident which changed the trajectory of his life. He enrolled in college at Minnesota State University – Moorhead and then later attended law school at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Upon completion of his law degree, he began his career as a private-practice defense attorney in Fargo. Joe had an innate sense of fairness from which he drew upon while giving all his clients the best representation possible.
It was in Fargo that Joe met Marianne Gooselaw. Joe and Marianne were married in 1986 and had two wonderful sons, Jack and Sam. Joe and his family moved to a quiet North Fargo residence where he built a beautiful life and home while proudly watching his sons grow into the quality men that they are today. Joe loved to see that a hard work ethic was strong in both of his sons, and he let everyone know that they are, by far, his greatest accomplishment.
Joe was an avid reader and loved to discuss all subjects. He could easily carry on a lively conversation with literally anyone. This ability stemmed from a combination of being an excellent listener and his innate ability to relate to the circumstances in other people’s lives. It was Joe’s ever-present sense of trust and camaraderie that made him so easy to love and depend on. If you were lucky enough to be one of Joe’s many friends, you knew that if you needed him, he would always show up or he would die trying.
Joe leaves behind so many of us who will miss him, every day. His passing marks a new era of profound loss for all his family, friends, and colleagues. He will be missed most by his loving wife, Marianne, son Jack, son Sam (Nicole), his beautiful granddaughter Vienna (1), and Joe’s second grandchild who is due in May.
View the compete obituary here: https://boulgerfuneralhome.com/obits/joe-a-johnson/
