George Steven Johnson

George Steven Johnson, 63, of Mill Creek, Washington, died peacefully on Thursday, March 16, 2023, after a valiant 13-month battle with cancer. His loving and committed wife of 43 years, Patricia “Trish” Moors Johnson had been right by his side for the entirety of this illness and was right by his side as he took his last earthly breath.

George had retired in 2018 after a long and successful career as an independent contractor focusing on large IT developments across the world. His contractual agreements took him to long tenures in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Singapore, Mexico, and Russia as well as assignments in his adopted home state of Washington and many other parts of the United States.

Prior to relocating to the state of Washington in 1997, George and Tricia lived in Lexington, Kentucky and briefly in Clearwater/Tampa Florida.

George’s love of eclectic music, different foods/cultures and international travel made for a lifetime of treasured memories for he and Trish, whom George always fondly referred to as “Tob”. Wherever they went, they made lasting friendships and were well loved and well respected both professionally and personally. They loved to travel and shared many lengthy trips together—both in the United States and abroad. In fact, just months before his diagnosis, George and Tricia drove the northern route from Washington to Kentucky and then after visits with family and friends along the way, they returned home via the southern route-all meticulously planned by George so that he would be sure to hit all the historical landmarks and the deepest of local food dives along the way.

George was an avid fan of many sports and while cheering for several teams over a wide range of sports and even international events, his University of Kentucky Football Wildcats and the NFL Raiders were his two favorite teams. Sunday afternoons would find George and Tricia at a local pub with friends, each cheering for their respective teams and enjoying friendly rivalries. And he was known to set his alarm in the middle of the night in order to watch the Collingwood Magpies, an AFL team.

The annual derby party hosted by George and Tricia over many years became epic and was known as THE invite for their Washington friends. With annual shipments of that year’s Derby paraphernalia, the Kentucky Derby tradition was alive and well in Mill Creek, Washington at the Johnson home!

Later in life, George took up the hobby of photography which grew into a deep passion for “birding”. He and Trish spent thousands of hours hiking the Northwest and beyond -- identifying and photographing birds — and the more distinct and difficult to identify, the more George embraced that challenge! His Facebook posts of bird sightings served as both educational and enjoyment for all of his friends and family.

Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, George graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1986 with a B.S. Business Administration with departmental honors. George was accepted into the prestigious Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he earned his Executive MBA in 1990. He and Trish met at Elizabethtown Community College and the rest, as they say, is history—and a history of a beautiful life together anchored by their love for each other and surrounded by a myriad and diverse group of family and friends.

George was the son of James “Jimmy” and May Johnson, both of whom preceded him in death. At his parents’ own terminal medical diagnoses just months apart from one another, George took a leave of absence to return to Kentucky for an extended time in order to help care for his parents. And immediately following their deaths, he also helped take care of his mother-in-law, Bobbie Moors, who also preceded him in death along with his father-in-law, Charles Moors, his brother-in-law, Mike and several aunts and uncles, who George was intentional about staying in touch with and visiting.

In addition to his wife, George is survived by his sister Glenda Ash and his sister-in-law Brenda Moors-Charles (Marsha) as well as two nephews, Bradley and Michael and other extended family.

A celebration of George’s amazing life and all whom he touched will be held at later date at his and Tricia’s home residence in Mill Creek—where friends and family will be invited to gather, share memories, make a toast, and give gratitude for the life and love shared with George and the imprints he leaves on our lives and in our hearts. In addition, there will be celebration of life service later this year in Kentucky.

George knew a lot of folks from all across the world and he realized that all of his friends and family have different passions in terms of giving back for the greater good. As such, expressions of sympathy can be made in the form of either time or monetary donations to one’s favorite charity.

George Johnson was a loyal and committed husband, son, brother, colleague and friend and he will be deeply missed.