Dale Johnson

Dale Arthur Johnson, age 86, of Pillager, MN, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2026 at Highland Senior Living in Little Falls, MN surrounded by family.

Mass of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 12:00pm at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Staples, MN, with visitation one hour prior. Interment will follow at Evergreen Hill Cemetery.

Dale was born on July 11, 1939, in Staples to Lyle and Sarah (Schmidt) Johnson, the second of seven children. He grew up in Staples and attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and Staples High School. On July 5, 1958, he married Bonnie (Leslie) Johnson at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Together, they spent most of their years in Anoka, where they raised their four children. For many years, Dale worked as a mechanic for the City of Anoka Parks & Golf Course Dept. He was truly a master mechanic who could fix anything. After retirement, he and Bonnie moved full-time to their vacation home on the Crow Wing River in Pillager, MN. Dale was a devout Catholic who was a longtime member of St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Anoka, and later St. Francis Catholic Church in Brainerd.

Never afraid to try something new, Dale was a man of many skills who enjoyed a wide range of interesting hobbies. His love for aviation led him to two of his most unique pursuits: radio control model airplanes and gyrocopters. He spent many years carefully building an impressive collection of radio control model airplanes and flying them. He also built his own full-sized gyrocopter which he taught himself to fly. Both aviation hobbies became family affairs. If a model airplane crashed, all four children helped search for it. He initially learned to fly the gyrocopter by having Bonnie pull him behind the car on a long rope, while the children watched through the back window and gave cues to their mother. This was often a stressful event, especially for Bonnie!

Dale also loved snowmobiling, 4-wheeling, and often rode a motorcycle for transportation. Retired life on the river brought new adventures including airboats, a jet ski, fishing, paddle boats, and a pontoon. He enjoyed various sports as well, with a lifelong love of basketball – whether watching or playing casually with family in the driveway. Dale lived life to the fullest and loved bringing his family along for every adventure.

Dale loved his family and lives in the memory of many loved ones. He is survived by his four children, Linda (David) Markovich, of Colgate, WI; Kristi Johnson of Anoka, MN; Steve (Kathy) Johnson of Little Falls, MN; and Rodney (Dawn) Johnson of Fort Myers, FL; his three sisters, Pat Myers of Staples, Kay (David) Jessop of Staples, and Cindy (Jason) Morales of Huntsville, AL; brother-in law Gene Leslie; sister-in-law Marge Leslie; five grandchildren Heather (Josh) McGee, Janaya (Keith) Fugleberg, Brian (Lynnea) Markovich, Rachel (Rob) Mehrwerth, and Alyssa (Joe) Czech; 8 great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

Dale was preceded in death by his loving wife of 45 years Bonnie (Leslie) Johnson; his father Lyle; mother Sarah; father-in-law Walter Leslie; mother-in-law Alice (Peterson) Leslie; brother Gary; brother Allan; sister Charlotte; and numerous other cherished brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, as well as nieces and nephews.

Brenny Family Funeral Chapel in Staples, Minnesota is assisting the family.