Paul Jeff Johnson, 72, of Bismarck passed away peacefully in his sleep after battling Vascular Dementia on Friday, December 1, 2023 surrounded by his family. Paul’s Funeral Service will be at 10:30 a.m., CT, Friday, December 8, 2023 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 106 Osage Ave., Bismarck. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, December 7, 2023 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Interment will take place at Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck. There will be a Gathering of Family and Friends at 1 p.m., MT, Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Ladbury Funeral Service, 1133 I-94 Business Loop East, Dickinson.
Paul was born in Bismarck on August 11, 1951 to Lavern Johnson and Helen (Koski) Johnson. He grew up primarily in Tioga with a few years in Jamestown, while his father was a State Electrical Inspector. The family later moved back to Tioga where Paul graduated from Tioga High School. Paul was a master electrician in the oilfield for 40+ years. He met the love of his life Terry Ann Byrne of Petersburg, and married June 3, 1972. They went on to welcome two daughters, Jennifer Ann in 1975 and Amanda Sue in 1979. Paul was lucky enough to deliver Amanda in his service truck himself enroute to the hospital. While living in Tioga, he fell in love with dirt track car racing, building a car from scratch and racing primarily in Williston, Dickinson and Minot.
In 1979 he found sobriety with the help from the Heartview Foundation in Bismarck. He ultimately reached 44 years of sobriety with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous and many friends and sponsors along the way. He also opened a branch office for Johnson Electric, eventually getting a loan for a service truck and starting his own business, Action Electric Inc. Over the years he was able to increase his customers by introducing slow jacks to his coverage area. By adjusting the speed on the wells, it saved the customer money. In 2006, he saw the oilfield ramping back up and felt that another boom was on the way. He had to decide if Action Electric would stay small or expand. He was hesitant because he remembered how quickly the last boom crashed but decided to take the risk. In 2007, Terry joined him officially and they expanded the business. Later, he perfected his idea for a variable frequency drive, VFD, which would do the work of the slow jack but do it automatically. One of his customers liked the idea so well, they added it to every well and became Action Electrics’ primary customer. In 2009, they had three employees and were able to pay off the mortgage on their house. Six months later, their house and shop were leveled by a tornado. Paul pieced together two work trucks and had men back to work in just three days. In seven years, they built Action Electric up to a multi-million-dollar company and sold it January 22, 2014. They retired to Bismarck and wintered in Sun City West, AZ.
Due to the nature of the oil field, even in the tough times he was able to find joy taking the girls hunting, fishing, and camping using his old camping gear from his time as a Boy Scout. His real passion for hobbies came when he found an abandoned 1977 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, which he was able to restore. He owned many bikes throughout the years and enjoyed many rides with his wife and kids. He also loved hunting deer, elk, moose, bear, and pheasants when he wasn’t walleye fishing or collecting his classic cars.
Paul is survived by his wife, Terry, Bismarck; his daughters, Jennifer (Korey) Fried, Bismarck, and Amanda (John) Schnaidt, Gladstone; his grandchildren, McKenna (Mitchel Glasser) Akovenko, Mandan, Tyler and Noah Fried, Bismarck, and Piper Schnaidt, Gladstone; his mother, Helen (Koski) Johnson, Bismarck; his siblings, Linda Johnson, Bismarck, and Joel (Bobi) Johnson, Bloomfield, NM; nieces and nephews, Jason (Tonia) Johnson, Mandan, Josh (Dallas) Johnson, Florence, AZ, Lisa (Doyle) Hodges, Phoenix, AZ, and Christina Johnson, Albuquerque, NM; along with many great nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his uncle, Duane Bjerke, Buxton.
He was preceded in death by his father, Lavern F. Johnson, Tioga; brother, Ronald D. Johnson, Bismarck; numerous aunts and uncles: Iva Mae Bjerke, Buxton, Rahua and Marvin Schumaier, Cole Harbor, Elmer and Della Koski, Vieno and John Lehto, William Koski, Lauri and Edna Koski all from Wing and Bismarck area, Arvo Koski, Bend, OR, Martha and Stephen Kytonen, New York Mills, MN; his grandparents, Gustav and Violet Johnson, Buxton and Victor and Marja Koski, Wing.
Memorials can be sent to Terry Johnson, 5709 Crested Butte Rd, Bismarck, ND, 58503.
