Jesse Dean Johnson

With deep sadness and profound love, we announce the peaceful passing of Jesse Dean Johnson, age 28, at his home in De Pere, Wisconsin, on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

Jesse was born in Columbus, Ohio, in July 1998. He graduated from Syble Hopp School in 2018 and went on to spend many happy years with his friends and caregivers at Paragon Community Services in Green Bay West, a daily program that brought great routine, structure, and joy to his life.

Jesse was a man of few words, but many smiles and thumbs up, even through his battle with cancer and the many surgeries he endured in his final years. He lived with a rich, imaginative inner world, happiest when immersed in movies, television, and Nintendo. It was never a surprise to catch him joyfully acting out a scene from his mind, whether he was catching his next Pokémon or finding a Golden Ticket. He also had a deep love for music, and in the end, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was a definite favorite.

Jesse lived for life's simple pleasures, chief among them being good food. Mealtimes were the true highlights of his day, a joy underscored to the very end when he left his family with one sweet, final word: "Waffles."

Jesse’s memory will be treasured always by his mother, Kim; his father, Steve; his sister, Gabbie; his grandmothers, Sara and Janna; and a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Services will be private for immediate family only.