Bruce Eric Johnson

Bruce Eric Johnson passed away on October 22nd, 2016 in Tacoma, Washington. He was the first child of parents Charles Donald Johnson (known as Don) and Betty Ann (Brandstrm) Johnson. Bruce was born on March 27th, 1956 in Kaiserslautern, Germany during a period when his parents lived overseas. After returning to the US, Bruces family lived in Tacoma where his sister, Susan was born in 1957 and then moved to Denver, Colorado where his brother, Alan was born in 1959. The Johnson family then returned back to Tacoma /Browns Point area where theyd built a home on Browns Point Boulevard in the early 1960s. Bruce grew up in this area where his family lived for many years, attending local schools, then Stadium High School, and college at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. While at the UW, Bruce studied electrical engineering, attaining Bachelor of Science degree in 1978 and later a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering. During college days, Bruce was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity where he first became known for his early inventions featuring electrical engineering applications. After graduating from the UW, Bruce met and married Robin Yost who had moved to Seattle from Michigan, and began his long career in the electrical engineering field going to work at the Boeing Company and specializing in lasers and fiber optics. Bruce and Robin made their home in Seattle during this period of Bruces employment at Boeing where he stayed until mid-1990s when he left to continue his work with fiber optics and lasers with fellow entrepreneurial electrical engineers at smaller companies in the area. Following the passing of Robin in 1999, Bruce met Jacqueline (Jackie) Doman and moved to Federal Way to be with Jackie in the beautiful home they owned together with a stunning view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Bruce had now returned to employment with the Boeing Company where he remained until his retirement in 2011. Bruce was an accomplished engineer and highly successful inventor, holding a number of patents. Bruce was always a huge fan of science and science fiction and enjoyed movies and music. He owned and played a number of electric guitars over the years and enjoyed live music and concert events. He had quite a notorious way with his dry humor and an uncanny way to get you laughing. Bruce was known for always being kind and generous in all that he did.Bruce was a big sports fan for local teams, especially Mariners baseball and UW football Go Dawgs! Bruce embraced outdoor activities and participated in many including fishing, hiking, and skiing, and played golf and soccer for a number of years. However, the underwater sport of snorkeling became a favorite of Bruces and soon lead to his becoming an avid scuba diver in 2002. Bruce and Jackie enjoyed many activities together over the years and they travelled extensively. Local excursions were often centered around Washingtons wine producing areas with Walla Walla and Yakima Valley being favorites. Their international travels were the most impressive with scuba diving trips taking them all over the globe to the exotic and beautiful underwater worlds of Bora Bora, Fiji, Palau, Indonesia, Micronesia, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Galapagos Islands. Bruce was an extremely accomplished underwater photographer and captured the amazing colors, strangeness and beauty of numerous sea creatures with his art. Bruce was preceded in death by his parents Don and Betty Johnson. Bruce is survived by his partner Jackie, sister Susan (Doug Johnson), brother Alan, nieces Natalie (Curt Schlichtmann), Stephanie (26), and Hayley (25); nephew Brett (22); and grandniece, Emma (2). Bruces family is planning a memorial on Sunday, November 20, 2016. You may contact the family at rktskicar.memorial @gmail.com or at 253-945-9595 regarding this event. The family wishes to acknowledge all of the caring thoughts and prayers sent on his passing. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the National Parks Conservation Association. Bruce will forever be remembered for his dry commentary and humor, wry smile, generosity, and unconditional love. We shall always cherish our memories of Bruce.