Kevin Johnson passed away on August 7th, 2023 in Northridge, CA after multiple health challenges. His family members and closest loved ones were at his side at the time of his passing. He was 65 years old.

Kevin Johnson is survived by his daughters Shiloh Tyler, Rachel Pittman, Taryn Johnson, Lauren Johnson, and Gabrielle Johnson; his grandchildren Noa Tyler, Isaiah Tyler, Nina Tyler, Walter Pittman IV, Adrianne Pittman, Lawrence Pittman, Samuel Pittman, and Aliyah Pittman; and his brother Richard Winston and his Aunt Betty Evangelista.

Kevin Richard Johnson was born on August 31st, 1957 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Genita E. Johnson and Richard O. Johnson. He attended Cathedral High School with very high marks. He was accepted into a few of the top universities in the country, including Harvard and Berkley, and ultimately accepted a spot at the University of Chicago to remain close to his family in Indianapolis. Kevin decided to leave University of Chicago after his freshman year to work alongside his father in real estate and pursued multiple other entrepreneurial ventures. Over the course of his career, Kevin helped renovate much of downtown Indianapolis and owned many apartment complexes.

Kevin met Vernetta Welch in 1990 through mutual friends. They welcomed their first of five daughters together on July 24th, 1993 and married in 1995. Kevin Johnson moved to Los Angeles, CA with his wife, kids, and parents in 2003 to further pursue real estate development opportunities. Kevin and Vernetta divorced in 2004, and he remained heavily involved raising his five girls.

Kevin was passionate about many things but his daughters and rugby were his greatest. He was very involved in all of his daughters athletics. He was their biggest cheerleader and would drive them all across the country to compete.

He loved to fish, cook, listen to music, read great stories, learn history, travel with loved ones and make friends everywhere he went.

He cooked a big dinner every Sunday and there was always too much food because everyone was always welcome.

He prided himself on how quickly he could read a long novel; a couple favorites being A Thousand Splendid Suns and the Alchemist.

His favorite subject was history and he would often joke about all his “useless” facts and how he should have been on Jeopardy.

Anyone who knew him would comment on his kindness and how much he loved his family. He always pushed his daughters to do their best and would let everyone know how proud he was of each of them.

He loved the poem “If” and had it hung up in several places in his home.

There will be a celebration of life held for Kevin in Los Angeles and potentially in Indiana as well. The dates and exact locations are still to be determined, but will provide details once the decisions are made.

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

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