6/9/1943 – 3/4/2025
Lawrence
Dr. Warren LaVerne Johnson Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, and distinguished cardiologist, passed away on March 4, 2025 at the age of 81, with his family by his side. Born on June 9, 1943, Warren was raised in the small town of Lindsborg, Kansas, where he met his high school sweetheart, Becky Keyte. The two married in 1965, beginning a lifelong partnership filled with a shared love of family, travel, adventure, and Kansas Jayhawk Basketball.
Dr. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree from Bethany College, where he played basketball, before attending the University of Kansas Medical School. He completed his internal medicine residency and a cardiology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Following his training, he served as Chief Cardiologist at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as a Major in the U.S. Army. During this time, he took advantage of his lunch breaks to obtain his private pilot’s license.
Dr. Johnson’s career in medicine was defined by his significant contributions to interventional cardiology. In 1977, he joined Cardiovascular Consultants at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, where he later served as Chief of Staff. He earned the admiration and respect of both his patients and colleagues for his exceptional skill, patience, and empathy. Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson received numerous accolades, and his expertise was recognized nationally and internationally. He taught angioplasty techniques to physicians around the world, authored influential academic studies, participated in clinical trials, and played a key role in shaping the future of the field.
After 32 years of practice in Kansas City, Dr. Johnson established the first cardiology practice in Summit County, Colorado. He was Medical Director of Cardiology for Centura Health and Summit Medical Center and he was a founding director of the High Altitude Research Center before his retirement.
Warren was an avid outdoorsman. Warren and Becky summited 45 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks, climbed Mount Rainier, Mount Kilimanjaro, and trekked to the base camp of Mount Everest. He loved alpine skiing and biking and completed two 55-kilometer American Birkebeiner ski races. His love for travel and adventure was a defining part of his life. He shared this passion with his family, treasuring every moment spent outdoors with those he loved. His greatest joy came from being in their company, especially when he followed his grandchildren down a bump run on Keystone Mountain.
Warren was known for his boundless optimism, infinite patience, sense of humor, wisdom and compassion. Whether in the hospital, on a mountain trail, or surrounded by his family, his kindness, humility, and gentle spirit left a lasting impression on everyone he met. His legacy endures through the countless lives he touched as a physician, mentor, husband, father, grandfather, and friend.
He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Becky, their three children, Heather Bergeson (Tim), Marci Leuschen (Carl), and Matt Johnson (Katie), his sister Margie Lloyd and his brother Daryl Johnson (Kola). He was Gpa to seven grandchildren: Joe, Will, and Anna Leuschen, Henry and Hailey Bergeson, and Siena and Graham Johnson. He was preceded in death by his parents, Warren L. Johnson Sr. and Margaret Keding Johnson Nelson.
The Johnson family extends their deepest gratitude to the dedicated team at Cedarhurst of Lawrence Memory Care for their empathy, patience and unwavering support. Thank you to Ascend Hospice for your guidance and compassionate care. A celebration of Warren’s life will be held on June 22, 2025 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at Cider Gallery in Lawrence, KS. We will also celebrate his life in Keystone, CO on July 19, 2025 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at our home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Warren Johnson Scholarship Fund at the Keystone Science School or to the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Online condolences made at rumsey-yost.com
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