Mark Odis Johnson

Mark is the firstborn son of Donald and Linda Johnson. He is a dearly beloved son. He was born October 30, 1967 in Atlanta Georgia and died on October 3, 2025 suddenly but peacefully in his sleep at home. He was 57 years old, but just missed his up and coming family birthday celebration which his family was so looking forward to. Mark liked a quiet life, but he loved connecting with his beautiful family and sought opportunities to serve them every chance he could get. His life was one of service and duty to his family. He was someone you could count on to help with what needed to be done. He left his beloved wife, Katie Johnson; daughter Jessica Johnson and husband, Basilio along with a little grand-dog Daisy; son Joshua Johnson; daughter Savannah Johnson, financé Chandler Neshan, and their little son, Rowan; son Matthew Johnson; and daughter Mary Johnson. He also left behind his mother, Linda Johnson, brother Ben Johnson and his wife Louise Johnson and their family. And of course, he left behind the many members of his family, and those that he married into and adopted through friendship. Mark was a friend to all. He just quietly went about being an excellent listener, enjoying a lot of good humor, and just made people feel comfortable being around him. It has been a treasure to hear from all of those who have reached out with sincere love and friendship. Trying to weed through his hundreds of contacts to find every friend has been a journey. If we failed to reach out to you personally, please know that it is an overwhelming time, but we are all so grateful for the wonderful part that you played in Mark's life. He will be dearly missed and we will miss hearing your stories around our dinner table. Mark's dream was to be a farmer. His goal was the pioneer motto to "Fix it up. Wear it out. Make it do or do without." Even before we owned a home, he would scope out wild muscadines, blackberries, and sassafras for us to go picking. The first spring after we bought our first home, he borrowed a tiller and started the garden. It was a beautiful garden. Several years later, a friend called us to give us some chicks she inherited and our small urban farm began. That farm continued to grow as we established our new home. If he was home, he was wearing his straw hat outside mowing the lawn, puttering around his beautiful garden, or sitting out by the chickens munching on a snack and throwing bits out to the birds. After a long day outside, he could always be seen up by the driveway sitting in his gray chair, sipping on his drink with Riley laying beside him on the grass, admiring the beautiful view of his farming empire. He loved, absolutely loved the outdoors. Many of his stories revolved around his scouting days as both a scout and a scout master. In the early days of raising our children, family outings were hikes, picnics, or splashing in a waterfall or river. Often if he was coming home from working in an area near the Chatooga River, he would stop, pull out his folding chair and soak his feet in the cool water and just think on a hot summer's day. As the days got cooler, one of his favorite things was building a fire out in the backyard and just enjoy being outside. Mark was the light of our family gatherings. He was always ready with a joke and his teasing smile. He was just a big kid at heart and gave that extra spark to every family activity. He loved teasing our children and always joked that when they were gone, he would just have to bug his wife or our dog, Riley! A gaping hole will be left in all of the hearts of our family that just can't be filled except with the love of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We ask that you lean on His love, His grace, and His mercy as we are. Hold on to your loved ones. We should never live in fear of loss, but we should live with gratitude for every moment we have together. These are the moments that build eternity. We wait anxiously to see him again. Our hope is that you remember and speak of the happy memories and moments that each one of you have had with our dear husband and father. Speak of him with all of the happy light that he was made of. Each of you were such an integral part of who he was and what made his family who we are today and we thank you for that gift. We love you, because he loved you. We invite you to celebrate his life with us on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 400 Farrs Bridge Road, Greenville, SC 29617. The family will receive visitors at 12:15 and the Memorial Service will follow at 1:00pm EST. PLEASE NOTE: The family respectfully requests that "No Floral Tributes" (of any kind) be sent. Services will can also be viewed via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96493028300pwd=B3CiMyXaJ4gbyqluewvabdjyNxHnwy.1 "Lovingly submitted by family"

Mark Odis Johnson

October 30, 1967 - October 3, 2025