Harry Guernsey Johnson

Our father, brother, and friend, Harry Guernsey Johnson, was born on December 16, 1955, and passed away peacefully on May 13, 2026, at the age of 70, following a diagnosis of glioblastoma, a terminal brain cancer. Harry married Inka Maria Hasemann on September 14, 1985. Though they later divorced, his diagnosis earlier this year brought them back together in close friendship.

Harry served a mission to Pennsylvania for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and loved his faith and the temple. He had a generous spirit and made consistent efforts to help the less fortunate. Harry valued education, attending BYU Hawaii before earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in International Political Science and Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. Throughout his career, he developed a variety of businesses and worked in the banking industry.

Harry taught us to put lemon juice on pizza, that pickled eggs were a delicacy, and that Diet Coke was essential to life. Having spent most of his youth in California, he carried a passionate love for the state and the beach throughout his life, a sentiment perfectly captured by the sticker on his 1970s Ford Pinto: “Welcome to California, Now Go Home.” Accompanied by his son Yanni, he enjoyed one last trip to Encinitas in April, feeling the ocean breeze and the sand between his toes.

Harry loved adventure. He traveled often internationally and, to his children’s amusement, not infrequently without the aid of modern technology. His travels took him throughout the U.S., to Europe, and to Asia. Harry loved bright colors, a well-patterned shirt, smelling the flowers, and sharing a laugh. He enjoyed camping, hiking, fishing, and kayaking, and in his younger years, his family’s elk hunting trips.

He is survived by his children Danielle, Yannik, and Desiree; his siblings Thomas, Temmie, James, Joseph, Barry, Linda, Neichia, Lana, and Teena, and their families. Harry was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick and Mable Johnson; his son Ian; and his siblings Jacqueline, Frederick, and Benjamin.

Services will be held at Memorial Redwood Mortuary and Cemetery, 6500 S. Redwood Rd, West Jordan, UT 84123, on Tuesday, May 19. Viewing will take place from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m., followed by a graveside service and interment.