Timothy Lear Johnson

Beloved son, brother, cousin, nephew and friend, Timothy Lear Johnson, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on Wednesday June 13th, 2012 in Missoula, Montana. A resident of Missoula, he was 45.

His family and friends knew Tim as a claymation animator, master of the creative thinking word “Po,” extremely generous (presents from Uncle Tim were always the first to be opened under the Christmas tree), comic book creator, philosopher, artist, Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse fan and music lover. Anyone who met Tim could not help but be touched by his kind, gentle spirit. Tim was one of the rare people you meet who was truly nice — always, without exception. Tim and his brothers Marc and Damon spent many happy hours together laughing from childhood through adulthood sharing an unusual sense of humor and joy in being together.

A first descendant of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, Tim was born at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, AK, on April 22, 1967. He grew up in Polson and Anchorage, where he graduated from Bartlett High School with honors. Tim studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Tim moved back to Montana in 1990 and made Missoula his home.

Tim is survived by his mother, Kay Dubay Johnson, of Polson; his father and stepmother, Gene and Inger Johnson, of Polson. He leaves his older brother Marc Johnson, and children Maya, Keir, and Leah, of Kenai, Alaska; stepsisters Julie Daniel, of Polson, and Karen Borring, of Denmark; sister-in-law Lyuda Ziemin and her children, Maxeem and Aneeka; his mother’s twin sister, Carol Dubay, of Anchorage; and her children, Nikos Pastos, Melina Pastos, Chris and Andrea Okland, Nicolette Pastos and Zara Pastos, all of Anchorage; aunt Rene Dubay; cousins Jenaya, Maurita, Michaela, Sheri and Sheryl; uncle Chester Johnson, of Missoula, and Lillian Stephenson, Rick Stephenson and Gary Stephenson; Helen McClellan and Ron McClellan, Larry Myers, Janice Myers, all of Polson, and Gloria and Ed Violette, of Boulder, Colo., and their children Dan, Lynee and Suzie.

Preceding him in death were his brother, Damon (Johnson) Ziemin, his paternal grandparents, Marie Johnson and Carl Johnson, of Polson; maternal grandparents Abraham Dubay and Marion Dubay Pariseau, step-grandfather Patrick Pariseau, aunt and uncle Elaine and Kendal Forman, and first cousins Kevin and Ferin Forman all of Polson.

Funeral services were held Saturday, June 30 at the Salish-Kootenai Senior Citizens Center in Polson, followed by a reception at the Polson Senior Center and a multi-day remembrance on family lands on Flathead Lake.