Paul Maurice Johnson - Letters for Noah

Welcome to our website for the remembrance of our beloved son, Paul.  We first want to thank all of you that prayed for Paul and for us during the past 4-½ years.  We felt your love and outreach and you need to know that it DID make a difference.

We would love for you to share a story, a moment, or pictures for his son Noah.  We want to keep Paul’s memory alive in Noah and it’s only through his family and friends that it will be possible.

We love you and thank you.

Gregg and Carol

Obituary from The Denver Post.

Paul Maurice Johnson born July 20, 1985 went to be with the Lord on September 11, 2014. Paul was born in Phoenix, AZ and maintained a home in Phoenix and in Colorado Springs, CO. Paul lived his life with courage, passion and a deep love for his family, his church and his friends. He was able to face his daily health challenge with the comfort in his relationship with the Lord and the loving support of his wife Jen; always thinking of the next time they could celebrate something, an anniversary, a birthday, a first date where he proposed, their first kiss. Then, of course, along came Noah which seemed so natural for Paul as he took on the role of father and husband. He was a natural at both and was able to do these with a style and grace that was amazing. Throughout his daily struggles he always shared and ministered his love and promise of the Lord. His passion and love for his family was a wonderful thing to see. Paul always thought of others and how he could help. It could be sharing a joke, an opinion, advice on what car to buy or not to buy, his advice on love and family but most importantly sharing his love for the Lord and the promise that holds. Paul leaves behind a wealth of stories, jokes and when we all go to buy a new car Paul will be there giving us his opinion, as those close to Paul know his passion for and knowledge of cars is and will be unsurpassed by anyone. His parents Gregg and Carol Johnson, his wife Jennifer, who he loved and adored deeply and was never shy about it, survive Paul. His son Noah Maurice, who looks like he has the same passion for cars and loves the Lord and his family. Paul is also survived by grandmother Donna Burns, his older brother Ezra, his sisters Melissa (Missy) Ackerley and Michelle (Shelly) Mosbrucker, nieces Cora Violet and Ella, and nephews Evan and Mason. The celebration for Paul's life will be held on Saturday September 20 at 11:00 A.M. at Chaparral Christian Church 6451 East Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ. There will be a reception at the church following the service. Paul loved to be social so let's fill the church for him!

Published in DenverPost.com from Sept. 16 to Sept. 17, 2014 - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/denverpost/obituary.aspx?pid=172471923#sthash.SPnovV2h.dpu

Az Central Story about Paul
http://www.azcentral.com/story/life/2014/10/17/man-faith-dies-rare-cancer/17474463/ 
Man of faith dies at 29 of rare cancer

Faith, family, friends, and fast cars were what meant the most to Paul Johnson and what kept him going towards the end of his short life.

His father, Gregg Johnson, took Paul to the Barrett-Jackson car auction when he was in grade school and his youngest son became captivated by cars. The auction became an annual outing for the father and son.

"We went every year after that," said Johnson, 63, of Peoria. "I would pull him out of school and we would go."

Paul Johnson died on Sept. 11 in Phoenix of a very rare form of appendiceal cancer. He was 29.

Even while he was being treated for cancer, he would go to work with his chemo pump at Perkins Motor Co., a car dealership in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"He was dedicated to his passion — cars," said Johnson. "He was committed to providing for his family and he was fearless about fighting the disease."

Paul was born on July 20, 1985, in Phoenix. He grew up attending Paradise Mountain Christian Academy and was a member of the first class to attend Pinnacle High School.

"He had great sense of humor," recalled Johnson. "He was very happy. He smiled all the time and was very friendly. He was spiritual from the beginning and was a joy to be around all of his life."

After his father introduced him to fast and fancy cars, Paul was immediately hooked.

"My wife would drive him to and from school and he always had a spiral notebook where he would write down the type of cars he saw," said Johnson "He got a subscription to Motor Trend magazine and he would pour over it. He had a 10-year collection and if someone asked about a car he could go directly to the specific issue."

Paul attended the Universal Technical Institute automotive trade school in Goodyear but soon discovered that he would rather be driving new cars than fixing old ones. He started selling cars for Volvo North Scottsdale and other high-end dealerships.

But Paul's father said his son was about more than just cars.

"At his service one of the men said that in the car business no one is your friend, but Paul became his best friend," said Johnson. "It was about relationships with people. When he was part of the youth program at church, he would shake the hands of people older than us and give the women hugs. Even as a teenager, he would work the crowd at church like he was a politician."

And Paul was close to people of all ages.

"He had friends that were children and friends that were in their nineties," said Johnson.

Paul moved to Colorado in 2006. The next year, he met his future wife at a church party. They soon became friends and he won her over. In 2008, they were married. Paul's dad couldn't believe how comfortable his son was as a new husband.

"It was like he went to college to become a husband," said Johnson. "He was just so good at it."

Jennifer Johnson, 31, said being with Paul was like a fairy tale.

"We would get dressed up and go on a date once a month — always on the anniversary of our first date," said the Sun City resident. "We were young and we fell madly in love with each other instantly. I never had the feelings I had for him for anyone. I felt like Cinderella. I knew from the first moment, that he was going to be the person I would marry. There would be no one else for me."

Two years after they married, the couple had a son, Noah. Shortly after Noah was born, Paul started suffering from stomach pain for a few days and was taken to the hospital for surgery. The doctors discovered a tumor behind his appendix. It was removed and Paul went through chemotherapy treatments and the family was sure they would have no further problems.

"We felt like we were untouchable," said Jennifer. "We thought everything was fine. That life was going to be normal again."

Paul went for several follow-up exams and was cancer-free for one year but in April of 2013, doctors discovered more cancer in Paul's liver and abdominal area.

Paul tried numerous traditional and nontraditional treatments.

After he moved back to the Phoenix area, the family found a church — Compel in Glendale, where Jennifer said Paul found his calling.

"The past year he devoted all of his extra time to our church," she said. "He was so excited about doing things for the church. He was more passionate about them and what they were going through than what he was going though. That's all he cared about. He had so much love for me and Noah and the people in church. He really found his calling."

Towards the end of his life, Paul continued to find comfort in his faith, family, friends and fast cars.

Kevin Niven, a friend of Paul's since he was three, took Paul for chemo a few months back. After the treatment, Paul asked if Niven had ever been to the Penske Racing Museum. He had not.

"As sick as he was, he made sure that I experienced the museum," said Niven. "He was thinking more of me than himself."

A service was held for Paul on Sept. 20 at Chaparral Christian Church in Scottsdale, the church Paul grew up in. More than 300 people attended the service.

"He had a wonderful heart," Johnson said. "He loved everyone and everyone loved him."