Duane Irwin Johnson
Duane Irwin Johnson
Duane Irwin Johnson, 68, of Hixton, WI, passed away at his home April 30, 2026.
Duane was born to Irwin and Judith (Whelihan) Johnson in Black River Falls, WI, Feb. 25, 1958, where he was raised with his five siblings. Duane’s mother, Judith, passed away when Duane was just 10 years old, and his father would later marry Teresa (Shoemaker) Johnson.
After graduating from Black River Falls High School, Duane began working at the Hixton Cheese Factory, where he worked as a maintenance supervisor until his retirement.
Duane met the love of his life, Julie Nelson, in the summer of 1990, and the two were married April 9, 2005. Julie and Duane spent 23 wonderful years together raising a family and making countless memories.
Duane was considered by many to be a “jack-of-all trades;” he could fix just about anything and always seemed to have a project he was working on. In fact, he had quite the collection of lawnmowers and appliances that he had restored and repaired over the years. He also enjoyed gardening, often sharing the yields of his garden with friends and neighbors. Duane loved spending time outdoors, going for walks with his dog, Rhoady, boating, hunting with his grandkids and going for drives. He was incredibly social and always made time to visit with his family, friends, and neighbors.
Duane is preceded in death by his parents, Irwin and Judith Johnson; sister Vicky Johnson; step-son Christopher Flick; brother- in-law Richard Lamp; and his good pal, Bruce Casper.
He is survived by his mother, Teresa Johnson; his devoted wife, Julie; daughter Desiree Johnson and her children, Destiny (Keith), Jamie (Ashley) and Brent (Alexis); son Jeremy (Kelly) Johnson and their children, Molly (Montana), Carter, Emma and Drew; daughter Danielle “Nelly” (Joel) Thieret and their children, Halle, Hayden and Gia; son Jamie “James” Johnson and his son, Dacoda (Phawn); daughter Tracy (Casey) Moe and their children, Austin, Bailee and Rachel; and son Randall Flick. He is further survived by his 14 great-grandchildren; his siblings, Pam (Dan) Gearing, Penny (Kevin) Eddy, Lorie (Jim) Lamp and Jennifer (Dallas) Jelinek; along with numerous other family members and friends.
A funeral was held at the Jensen-Modjeski Funeral Home Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Visitation took place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the funeral service beginning at 1 p.m. Following the funeral service, a committal service and burial was held at the Sechlerville Cemetery. Reverend Terry Marg officiated.