Obituary written by Cory's wife, Andy Johnson:

Cory Kenneth Johnson, born February 19th, 1981 - at Tucson Medical Center in, you guessed it, Tucson, Arizona - fully committed to a years long bit when he left this mortal coil on January 27th, 2021. As a child, he expressed a desire to become many things in life, including a pilot, a cake decorator, a wrestler, and a clown. He eventually settled for the latter as a professional actor, stuntman, and comedian, getting to do what he loved most everyday: entertaining the masses. Since the age of four, he held an unwavering passion and thirst for knowledge when it came to film, particularly directing. This was one of his earliest memories, and although he encountered many professional and financial setbacks in his life, his dedication to his craft never once faltered. 

The smartest person I’ve ever met, Cory graduated from Johnson Community College and later the University of Kansas in Kansas City, Kansas, his home state for most of his life. Cory loved Kansas and all the lifelong friends he made there. He would often go back to visit his high school and college friends, usually during the summer, at an annual reunion known within this circle as “Spornfest;” activities would include rafting, camping, competitive games, and plenty of amazing food. Eventually in 2016, I was able to join him on one of these excursions to the Ozarks in Missouri, and it was one of the best weeks of my life. It was also the week he officially proposed. 

Cory moved to Phoenix first in 2007, working various jobs, his favorite of which being as a courier for a successful local improv theater. One story he enjoyed sharing was when he acted as driver for Chelsea Handler when she came to Phoenix to do a set at this theater. He claimed she was attracted to him because she kept insinuating he was gay, and I’m not sure how he came to that conclusion, but I let him have it anyway. 

Phoenix was hell for Cory so after a year, he decided to follow his brother Tyler to Tucson, which is arguably the better city. Here he slogged through many “shitty” jobs before finally being hired as a stuntman at Old Tucson Studios, where he worked for over eight years, and where we met and fell in love in October of 2012. I would often tease Cory for being the first to admit his feelings, but the truth was, I had fallen just as hard and fast as he had. Hilarious, charming, with an intelligence and sense of empathy that was unmatched, I knew I had found my soulmate in him. 

Our lives together were not without their struggles, but every night that I was able to go to sleep next to Cory was a good night. He was my best friend, my confidant, my guardian, and my teacher. Before we married publicly in 2016, we had eloped a year prior, an idea we concocted together as a way to reap the benefits provided to legally married couples. This was kept secret from nearly everyone in our lives; the only people in the loop were a few trusted friends who acted as officiant and witnesses for the extremely private ceremony. After that day, Cory would often look over at me with that shit-eating grin and an undeniable love in his eyes, and say in a goofy voice dripping with childish glee: “We’re married.”

My last image of Cory was a familiar one: before the nurses took him to the ICU, and before I had to leave the hospital, not knowing if I would ever see him again, he placed his fingertips to his lips and blew me a kiss. With tears streaming down my face, I blew him a kiss back.

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