Clarence "Bud" Johnson passed away peacefully at home May 17, 2022. Bud, or papa as the grandchildren lovingly called him, was a remarkable man, husband, father, grandfather and great-­grandfather.

Born in Rolette, N.D., in 1930 to Cecil and Clarence Johnson, he was the eldest of six. When Clarence was 12, the family moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. At age 17, Bud went to work for Kaiser Aluminum and worked there 40-plus years before his retirement in 1992.

He was drafted into the Army when he was 18 and trained in the Military Police Corps in Alaska. Later, he was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco, Calif., where he met the love of his life, Eleanor Henderson. The lovebirds were married three weeks later on April 4, 1953, and decided to call Coeur d'Alene home where they raised their two children, Susan and Steve.

Bud was a genius with his limitless ability to create or fix about anything you could imagine. He loved visiting the Oregon Coast, vacationing and traveling, tending to his yard and gardening with his wife, whom he lovingly called "mother."

He spent a lot of time trolling the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene hauling in bluebacks. If he wasn't fishing or doing yard work, you could find papa woodworking in his shop/garage, or watching sports. He loved the Seahawks, Mariners and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Clarence was also a proud 60-plus year member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Bud was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Canton (Charlie) Johnson and Chester (Helen) Johnson; a sister, Connie (Donnie) Carr; and in 2019 his cherished wife, Eleanor.

He is survived by his daughter, Susan K. Smith of Coeur d'Alene; his son, Steven Johnson of Post Falls; sisters Clarisse (Jim) Johnson of Coeur d'Alene and Corrine (Bud) Zimmerman of Wichita, Kan.; and five grandchildren, Lanay (Reese) Hodge, Tanner (Alisha) Rowley, Larisa (Dennis) Goodwin/Welling all of Post Falls, Heather (Dave) Raglan of Coeur d'Alene, and Travis (Brittany) Eakin of Rathdrum. Bud also leaves behind 10 great-grandchildren and his pampered pooch, Cookie.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thank yous to those who lovingly cared for our papa. Hospice of North Idaho, Dr. Chambers, Dr. McClelland and Dr. Thomas.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.