Richard Baum Johnson
Marriages
Ruth Clover Converse - October 30, 1960
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 6C - April 10, 2022
Richard Baum Johnson,
Senior Chief Petty Officer,
USN (retired), passed away
quietly on February 6,
2022, just shy of his 94th
birthday, following a short
illness.
Rich was born on February 22, 1928, in Pueblo, CO,
to the late Joe and Genevieve (Baum) Johnson. The
family later moved to Buena Vista where he graduated
from Buena Vista High School.
Proudly serving over 25 years in the US Navy, Rich’s
career as a submariner took him around the world. He
was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the Vietnam
Service Medal, two National Defense Service Medals
and five Good Conduct Medals. The Navy also lead him
to the love of his life, Ruth Clover Converse, of Stafford
Springs, CT, and they were wed on October 30, 1960.
They raised two daughters.
Following retirement from the Navy in 1971, the
family returned to Colorado, settling in Grand Junction.
Rich completed his college degree at Mesa State and
worked numerous jobs as a diesel mechanic and welder,
but his real passions were farming and ranching. He
finally focused on those passions full time in the 1980s.
For the next 30 years, Rich was either driving a tractor
or riding a horse.
Rich is survived by daughters, Penny (Dan) Lyons,
and Kim (Joe) Giannone, both of Grand Junction, and
sister, Genevieve Avery, of Buena Vista. He is preceded
in death by wife, Ruth, who passed October 2017;
brothers, Edward and Robert, and sister, Joanne.
A day of remembering will be held Friday, April
22. Rich will be interned at the Veterans Memorial
Cemetery of Western Colorado Pavilion with military
honors at 10:00 a.m. Additionally, a memorial and
lunch at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, will start at noon.
Penny and Kim ask that you join them for all or any part
of the celebration.
Anyone desiring to honor Rich, is asked to donate
to their favorite charity supporting Veterans or First
Responders. The family has previously supported the
Wounded Warrior Project and the Tunnel to Towers
Foundation (T2T.org).
