Leland "Lee" Arthur Johnson

Aug 8, 1943 -

Dec 16, 2024

Leland Arthur Johnson "Lee" died on Dec. 16, 2024, and was born on Aug. 8, 1943, in Powers Lake, N.D., to Art and Hazel Johnson. While his father served in France during World War II, his mother developed tuberculosis and was sent to Dunseith N.D., tuberculosis hospital for 10 years.

Lee spent his first four years with his grandparents, Oscar and Lottie (Breding) Jorgenson. Lee and his father then moved to Tolley, N.D., where Art managed the grain elevators for six years.

Later the family moved to Colorado, a climate healthier for Hazel.

Lee graduated from Westminster High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil and structural engineering from the University of Colorado, where he met his future wife, Janie, completing her master's in speech pathology.

The couple married and moved to Potsdam, N.Y., where Lee attended Clarkson University, receiving his master's degree in structural engineering. They then moved to Los Angeles, Calif., where Lee worked for Texaco and was involved in the construction of off shore oil platforms heading to Cook Inlet in Alaska.

From California they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where Lee worked for KPFF, an engineering firm involved in many projects on the North Slope. Their first son, Eric, was born in Anchorage.

After five years in Alaska, Lee and Janie spent six years in Norway. Lee acted as a site manager, for Brown and Root, for the construction of a number of large oil platforms for English and French firms to be installed in the North Sea. Their second son, Mark, was born in Alesund, Norway.

Returning to Anchorage, Lee was hired by Arctic Slope Regional Corporation to develop an engineering company to handle engineering projects throughout the state of Alaska as well as opening offices in Denver, New Mexico, and Arizona. Lee had a great deal of affection for the Inuit and Yupik people and worked tirelessly to improve their quality of life through economic development.

In his later years, he was actively involved in construction projects to better the lives of native people living in Southwestern Alaska through the design and building of fish and meat processing facilities. He worked on these projects with his close friend, Doug Drumm, owner of Indian Valley Meats.

He is survived by his wife, Janie; sons, Eric and Mark; and grandchildren, Grant and Heath, Daphne and Vincent.