Duane “Spike” Johnson passed away peacefully on October 8, 2018 in Seattle, Washington where he was living with his wife and daughter. Duane was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1932 and spent his formative years in Grand Marais. His family were early immigrants to Cook County, with ancestors including August J. Johnson.
After graduating from Cook County High School in 1949, Duane enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War. After completing his term of service, Duane enrolled at the University of Minnesota where he attained his B.A. in architecture in December 1958.
Looking to escape the cold, Duane traveled to Florida to visit an old friend from Grand Marais, Mike Bushman. While there, he met Heidi Christman of Delray Beach. The two were married in 1959, raising a daughter Kirste (Seattle, Wash.) and a son, Erik (Jensen Beach, Fla.) in south Florida.
In 1987, Duane and Heidi relocated to Duluth and he went into partnership with his parents, Bobbie and Bev Johnson, owners of the Ogema
Real Estate Company. After his parents passed, Duane continued to manage the business. During this time, Lloyd Johnson hired Duane, his nephew, to design the Johnson Heritage Post and Art Gallery in Grand Marais.
In 2014, Duane began showing signs of mixed dementia and he and Heidi relocated to Florida and Washington to be close to their children. The family will be holding a celebration of life at a later point in time.
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