Johnson, Dean Kimball 96, a Minneapolis attorney, died of congestive heart failure on December 11, 2021 in Red Wing, MN. Johnson grew up in Golden Valley and attended North High. He was stationed in Fort Logan in Denver during the second world war. There, he met his first wife, Ruth, a Coloradan. They were married in Minneapolis in 1946. Johnson attended the U of M law school aided by the GI Bill, and was admitted to the state Bar in 1950. He began his career at the storied law firm Robins, Davis and Lyons in the Rand Tower. Later, he founded his own firm in Bloomington, where he specialized in the defense of aviation and personal injury lawsuits. "Dean was a highly respected member of the legal community in Minneapolis. He taught a lot of lawyers how to practice law - he was a mentor," said Michael Lindberg, Johnson's partner. Johnson retired from Johnson & Lindberg in 1995 at 70, but the firm proudly retained his name for another 22 years, Lindberg said. For many years Johnson was secretary of the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association. In the 1960s, he was on the executive committee of the Minneapolis Democratic Farmer Labor party. Johnson lived in the Kenwood neighborhood with his wife and children until divorcing in 1964. He was a life-long sailor who kept a "D" class scow at Lake Harriet where he and his son, Kimball, competed in weekend races. Later, he kept a keel sail boat at Lake Pepin. In 1972 he married Patricia Johns and moved to Cannon Falls, MN. He reveled in his pastoral life in rural Minnesota, cutting scenic trails and planting trees. "No Hunting" signs lined the perimeter of his 60-acre property. In 2017, he moved to an independent living facility in Red Wing. He is survived by his children, Kimball Johnson of Oroville, CA and Hillary Johnson of Hyde Park, NY; grandsons, Nathaniel of Corona, CA and Benjamin of Oroville, CA; great -grandchildren, Briana and Avery; his sister, Kitty Wilkin and nephew Don Wilkin of NJ; his niece, Jennifer, of MA; and his late wife's sons, Michael and Patrick Johns.

Published on January 16, 2022