My Nephew - By Kirt

One of the things I remember about Danny is the amount of effort he put into things.  Especially the time when the boys (Reed, Andy, and Jesse) wanted to escort their dates to the prom in a limousine but they couldn't afford it.  So, Danny took it upon himself to convert the back of a crew van into a limousine.  He detailed the van on the outside and cleaned the inside out and went to town on the conversion.  He went as far as putting up wall coverings, complete with mood lighting and 'stars' also a love seat and a couch.  He put a vase of roses, strawberries and piped music to the back of the van.  After doing all of that he performed the duty of limousine driver in a black suit with dark sunglasses and took the boys and their dates every where they wanted to go.  Everything worked fantastic.  The girls loved it and thought it was wonderful the amount of effort that was put into the Prom Night Limousine.  Danny was passionate about helping others out and it showed.  Thanks Danny for everything you did for us and our family.

Dad- Danny was so good with the boys, they all loved him! That ski trip they took, they loved it.

Mom- He was so pure hearted. They had such a great time on that ski trip. Danny came back and said "James went down the slopes and his only way of stopping was to crash, it was great!"  He always treated Josh like an adult before he was an adult, and he loved Danny.  He was also so good to our boys, they loved him!

By Brother & Sister Johnson

My Neighbor Danny - By Amanda (Johnson) Harris

I didn't get to know Danny for very long, because I only got to meet him after his mission. But I'll never forget how much fun it was to have him around.  He once took both of my brothers on a ski trip with him, and they had such a good time. They talked about it for weeks, and even now whenever anyone talks about skiing, Danny comes up.  I remember thinking he was so cool because he was a return missionary, and that it was so awesome that he had gotten to spend so much time in another country.  I also remember going down to the Taylor's house and Danny just hanging out, laughing and joking, there is always a lot of love in that house :)

Amanda (Johnson) Harris

My Son - Brad Taylor

Danny

My favorite memory of Danny lasts for about 25 years. Every time I think of him I am happy and sad at the same time. I think about all the great things Danny did and I am sad because I don't get to have more great memories. I remember all the camping trips, trips to Disneyland, boating, three wheeling, and all of the other things that we got to enjoy while he was with us. Then, I am sad because we don't get to have more. I love to think about what a great missionary, friend and son he was and then I am sad that more people don't get to meet him. Although he was not perfect, as none of us are, he brought such joy and happiness into our lives that I will always be grateful to my Father in Heaven for giving me the opportunity to have Danny in my life.
Danny, I LOVE YOU.

Dan…

 The Spiritual Giant ~ The Biggest Heart ~ The Happiest Man

Right there says it all, a gentle but powerful man. It is of little surprise that the need for him and his talents were so greatly needed in heaven that Heavenly Father needed Dan to rejoin him at such a young age.  His time on earth here was small, but his impact, devotion and his mission to serve was enormous! 

One Story I remember about Danny is one evening late we were discussing how dangerous our outdoor patio stairs were. A few days later we return home to find our stairs were gone, and there was Danny, along with Kyle and Brad building fresh new stairs with wood they had purchased with their own money.  He always put the need of others first.

 Dan was one of the most caring and giving people I have ever known.  He was funny and determined; he was also stubborn at times which usually resulted in getting things done.  He was fun loving and playful yet a dedicated and a loving mentor which helped many young men graduate and get back on track. Nobody was left behind or left out. There were no outsiders or underdogs when Dan was around. Everybody was included and felt both useful and important but most of all… they felt Loved!!

The qualities Danny developed while here on Earth will expand and be of great need in Heaven. Children of our Heavenly Father continue to be blessed and taught. The Love still flows. The work goes on.  The legend lives. 

 Love Aunt Lori

Danny Boy - Kyle Richardson

Of all the people that knew Dan, I was probably the one that knew him least.  Six short months I had to get to know one of the most unique individuals I have ever met.  To pick one memory is hard so I didn’t I picked a whole handful to illustrate the kind of man Dan was to me.

Kind to a fault:

Dan had a stalker; I mean a really bad stalker.  I laughed hysterically when I found out who it was and  I laughed even harder when I had the chance to watch him tip toe around her in an attempt be nice but not lead her on.  One day we (Dan, Brad, and I) were driving somewhere in my truck when we happened to pass by this individual that was in such an amorous way for Dan.  He immediately headed for the floor boards, literally.  He took off his belt and was trying to crouch down under the dash board to avoid being seen which meant I pulled up next to her and asked if she was looking for Dan.  He sat up and just smiled like it was completely normal for people to cower under the glove box.  Now anyone else would be completely justified in cursing me and my lineage for the rest of eternity but instead as we drove away he just shook his head and said, “Was that really necessary?”  I loved the way Dan could take a joke and rarely, if ever, did I hear him insult someone else.

Determined….to a fault:

The first time I’d ever gone four wheeling Dan took me down to the Green River.  As we were tooling around Dan heard a clanking noise emanating from his bike.  He immediately diagnosed the problem as something rattling around in the piston so instead of putting his bike on the trailer and calling it good he proceeded to tear his bike apart thinking to perform mechanical surgery in the middle of the desert. After an hour I thought he would give up, no.  We struggled for some time to pull the header off but something stopped us, impeding our endeavors.  Finally I grabbed a hold of the top of the motor and pulled hard and broke the thing clean off because there were two bolts still holding it on.  It’s at this point that his kindness kicked in because I would have beaten someone to death if they’d broken my motor but no he just laughed and then said, “Don’t worry I think we can fix that with some gasket sealant.”  We really couldn’t and shouldn’t have tried but we did anyway.  Finally we got everything more or less put back together and he looked down and realized the noise was just a loose fitting on the exhaust pipe.  So we finally called it a day only because at that point it was too dark to see a foot in front of our faces.

Compassionate to accentuate my fault:

Dan never met a friend he didn’t want to make, or a person in need he wasn’t willing to try and pick up.  He gathered people to him like a shepherd bringing in the reject sheep.  It was amazing to witness his utter disregard for his own needs or capacities when he would immediately promise to provide whatever someone needed in order to make them comfortable.  Whether it was a place to stay for a night or close to five months, or if it was offering to mediate between quarreling lovers , or if it was just a kind word and a smile to someone on the outskirts of a group Dan had a way of making sure that no one was at the bottom.  I love and respect him for his ability to sacrifice and willingness to serve at a moment’s notice.  My fondest memory of Dan is probably just the pure example of character and how to live a life without regret.

Kyle Richardson

Danny - Raechel & Eddy Lewis

Danny and I shared lots of memories over the years.  Sometimes he was a brother, sometimes he was a friend, and sometimes he was a hero.  I never met a more spiritually tuned man.  Many times when everyone was away it was just he and I hanging out and we'd stay up talking and just having fun.  I have so many cherished memories of the cousin sleepovers, camping trips and outings we had.  It was always so much fun!  He was always so selfless and never failed to go above and beyond any expectations.  When I met Eddy and we were dating, Dan wanted Eddy to move in with him.  Eddy said he couldn't because he had a dog.  No joke, within one week Dan had rented a new apartment that allowed dogs, and bought a dog himself (Rudy).  Eddy was blown away and he still talks about that today.  He was amazed at the great love and friendship that Dan gave him when he hardley knew him.  Of coarse, we all know the great love and friendship and example that Dan was and is.  Dan, we will always miss you and think of you until that great day when we are reunited! 

With Love,
Raechel & Eddy Lewis