May 06, 1937 - Jun 18, 2016
We are deeply saddened to announce the death of our father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and brother, Leland Samuel Johnson, who passed away in Sacramento, CA on June 18, 2016. He is survived by his sisters Constance, Margaret,
Sally, and Nona, his children Dan, Lori, Phillip, David, John, and Heather, twelve grandchildren, and eighteen great-grandchilden.
Born on May 6, 1937 in Hong Kong, Sammy, as he liked to be called, was the son of Helen Branch and Leland Elkanah Johnson, who were Assembly of God missionaries in south China and the Philippines. After several years in a Japanese POW camp, where they were interned during WWII, the family moved to California where Sam met Geraldine Billingsley. They married in 1956 and moved to Dayton, NV in 1965. Sam was involved in construction for over 40 years, learning the trade in the US Naval Reserve Construction Battalion before creating his own company, Leland Johnson Trenching and Grading, based in Carson City, NV. The Dayton, Reno, Carson, and Tahoe region carries his indelible mark in the many residences and businesses he helped to build.
Sam spent his retirement in North Carolina, first in Chapel Hill with his daughter Heather and her family before moving to Charlotte to be near his son David and his family. Grandpa Sam was a frequent visitor and participant in their households, helping to entertain the grandchildren and give them love as they grew from infancy to childhood. In July 2015 Sam moved back to California where he had a chance to reconnect with his California and Nevada family members. During his last year he made good friends and became actively involved in New Life Christian Fellowship.
We will all miss Grandpa Sam’s humor, his curiosity about the world, his love of reading, and his desire to always figure out how things fit together, whether it was a truck’s engine or the plot in a children’s book. We will always
remember his deep baritone voice that resounded from the front of the house to the back, his laughter and asides as he watched T.V. with the kids, and the best Christmas and birthday presents ever!
Memorial services will be held on September 10th at 2pm at New Life Christian Fellowship, 2037 Elkhorn Blvd, Rio Linda, 95673.
