Don't Harm Me, Heal Me, Be nice to me - In that order!
Kerry Johnson
Obituary
Sitting beside the fireplace in the immaculate home Dad and Mom built together, I find myself searching for words. I want this obituary, his obituary, to encompass who he was as a little boy in Moab, who he was as a young man starting his career, who he was as a partner to my mother, who he was as a sibling, cousin, uncle, nephew, grandfather, grandson, coworker, neighbor, and friend. But to us, he was “Dad.” So, I will speak to that.
Kerry Mark Johnson was born April 10, 1957 in Moab, Utah to his mother, Betty Jean (Miller) Johnson of Moab, Utah, and his father, Harley Cyrus Johnson of Shepherd Township, North Dakota. I can assume most of his childhood was spent stirring up trouble from the stories his many cousins share freely. But, the stories he most proudly told me were about his time working Moab’s first ambulance as a high schooler. His dedication to being an emergency responder before fully understanding the world in which he was stepping into solidified his undeniable attention to the human experience.
The University of Utah was Kerry’s alma mater and the starting point of many relationships that would forever shape his life. Working towards his bachelor’s degree in physics (1980) and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering focused on thermal hydraulics (1982), he crossed paths with a fellow engineering student who would become his wife and our mother. The daring young man with a mind for physics could often be found with his buddies launching off the Point of the Mountain flight park near Lehi, Utah, using a hang glider that his mother Betty and grandmother Genevieve Miller carefully stitched together for him. Kerry was well known for being the best country swing dancer a girl could partner up with and would ski with grace and power—both skills that later became staples in his children’s lives.
Kerry’s professional career began in 1982 as an engineer on nuclear submarines at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. He mentioned the clout he felt from that job, but it paled in comparison to the way he described life as a young professional on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. His stories painted a picture of his beach shack with a front porch that required a remodel every time it was demolished by the surf, and the joy of my mother trusting him enough to fly out to visit from Utah.
In 1986, Kerry’s work brought him back mainland to Phoenix, Arizona, where he took on supervisory and management roles at Arizona Public Service. He continued working in the nuclear field at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. All the while, he was focused on safety and efficiency, continuing to develop his natural attentiveness towards improving the lives of people near and far from him.
Kerry wed Susan (Fraser) Johnson, with her son Jared Christopher Wolach, on February 16, 1986 at their home in Phoenix, Arizona. Their young German Shepherd/Labrador, Samantha, and Jared’s goat, Pepper, were of course in attendance—along with a crowd of adoring family.
1989 was a big year for Kerry. The young couple excitedly welcomed their son, Kevin Fraser Johnson, to the family that April. Kerry would light up the room when he described the joy he felt when the doctor exclaimed, “It’s a boy!” His advice for parenting boys was simple—to make sure they knew the answers to three questions: Who is in charge, what are the rules, and will the rules be enforced? And with that wisdom, he proudly raised an incredible young man. While balancing his newfound role of “Dad,” Kerry became a partner at Performance Improvement International, where he spent the following 12 years honing his skills for identifying human factors that contributed to safety and performance risk.
Kerry and Susan welcomed their baby girl, me, Kate Miller Johnson, in September of 1992. By Christmas, our family moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Durango, Colorado. The A-frame Durango cabin that was lovingly built by Kerry, his brother Kevin, and their father Harley many years before would become “home” for all of us—Kerry, Susan, Jared, Kevin, and myself. It was on this property that Dad taught us kids the really important stuff. We discovered a deep attachment to the natural world and a practical understanding only truly grasped by living in it. We grew up on stick fort building, dinner bells, physics puzzles, shop projects, piano music, neighborhood parties, and family gatherings.
In a few short years, Kerry’s professional life took a big leap towards fulfilling his greatest impact on society. In 2001, Kerry founded The Performance Group, and in 2002, he co-founded Healthcare Performance Improvement. Kerry’s innate ability to grasp complex systems afforded him the wisdom to recognize an immediate need in the healthcare industry for safety improvement. His background of cultivating environments with safety and reliability at the forefront of high-risk fields provided him with the blueprint that would forever shape the healthcare industry.
In 2011, our family’s beloved cabin caught fire when an ember from the living room fireplace landed on the wood-shingled roof. It was incredibly fortunate that Kerry was home from work and up late enjoying tinkering in his shop (the primary place you’d find him spending his weekends) to have noticed in time to respond. Although our home was a total loss, our family was safe, and many irreplaceable belongings were salvaged. As we camped out on the property deciding next steps, Kerry did not pass up the opportunity to teach the value of connections over possessions. He repeatedly and fondly called this the best summer of his life.
In the following years, Kerry and Susan embarked on the great project of building their dream home. They passionately chose every detail to ensure their home would be a timeless combination of her eye for structural design and his endless spaces for entertaining. We would literally swing from the rafters when visiting home from college, and our childhood property continued to be the pinnacle of “home.”
Kerry welcomed the birth of his first granddaughter, Camilla Rose Acharte, in August of 2015, while wearing a full suit and tie from a speaking engagement he had been attending when the news broke. He walked his daughter Kate down the aisle in 2016 and received her new stepson James Adam Acharte with open arms. Kerry always adored having the energy of children around. There was never a baby he wouldn’t hope to hold—even on flights commuting to his next work event, as he was “never afraid of spit-up on a tie.” Kerry played games, teased, laughed, and shared wisdom and physics toys with every young person he encountered.
During these years, Kerry began transitioning towards his official retirement in 2017. When Healthcare Performance Improvement was acquired by Press Ganey in 2015, I fondly remember Dad’s dedication to each of his team members—ensuring they had upcoming opportunities they were excited about—and upholding the values of the company. His retirement was filled with a well deserved pride for the immeasurable impact that his company’s initiatives, including Zero Harm, had and continue to have on an exponential number of people.
When his wife Susan passed in 2017, Kerry mourned deeply and stepped into a profound emotional role with their children and grandchildren. Years following, in 2021, Kerry started back on with Press Ganey as a senior advisor, whose input has since been described as invaluable.
Kerry adoringly developed a close relationship with Kevin’s wife, Kayce Sebree. He sat front row at their wedding in 2023, on a Colorado mountaintop at 11,000 feet with a Carhartt vest over a full suit. In July of this year, Kerry’s excitement was through the roof when he was the first to hear that the new couple is expecting their first child. He was thrilled as they cut open a cake to reveal a pink filling—his second granddaughter is on the way.
On October 11, 2025, Kerry Mark Johnson passed on. He was comfortable in his dream home and property, enjoying spending his days surrounded by the fresh mountain air and frequent visits from dear friends and family. Kerry is survived by his brother Kevin, stepson Jared, son Kevin, daughter-in-law Kayce, expected granddaughter, daughter Kate, grandson James, and granddaughter Camilla.
The family would like to extend our extreme gratitude to each and every person who contributed to, learned from, and enjoyed Kerry’s dynamic personality.
Services will be held in Kerry’s honor at the Durango family home in Fall of 2026, so we may celebrate Kerry’s life and welcome new life with his newest grandchild in attendance. Exact date and details TBD.
Until then, please use this platform to freely share memories, photos, and kind words in celebration of the remarkable life that Kerry Mark Johnson shared with us all.
With warm regards,
Kate, Dad’s Goosebird
Gallery
Memory wall
As I grew older and got married, I watched my husband's childhood zeal surface as he and Kerry would talk about the latest shop project or the best books to read as they relaxed in the hot tub amidst spruce trees carpeted in snow.
As my own children grew, I eagerly awaited the time that I could bring my boys to Durango. Kerry did not disappoint. On the drive home, my two oldest boys could not stop talking about the fun time they had playing outdoors, seeing Kerry's workshop, and having Kerry teach them how to ride a hover board.
At Thanksgiving of 2024, even though Kerry was struggling with his health, he showed my youngest son a great time. Daniel played non-stop with the floating string machine that Kerry gave him.
Kerry's playful, curious, and active nature always made our time with him enjoyable. He always made all of us feel special and loved. We will miss him dearly!
-Betsy (the baby sister)
Kerry was my friend for 68 years—from kindergarten, through high school and roommates in college. A friendship that long becomes part of who you are, and Kerry was one of the very best friends a person could ever have.
We shared so many unforgettable moments.
There were countless poker nights at Kerry’s house, and Betty always showed up with the best cherry cheesecake for the whole group. I remember being in Durango with Kerry and his dad Hal when we raised the first truss of the old A-frame house around 1977, right where the current house now stands.
I remember skiing with Kerry—he skied like a ballet dancer on snow. I remember the first time I watched him fly a hang glider with Don Davis, launching from the high ground south of Moab. I remember taking Hal’s brand-new 1975 Blazer on a camping trip, stopping at Mill Creek Left Hand, and somehow getting it stuck because we were being too careful.
My family and I returned to visit Kerry and Kevin in Durango around 2018 and spent a couple of nights there. During that visit my son Louis James and my daughter Isabella were about 8 and 10 years old, visiting Johnson’s house was nonstop fun—cool physics experiments, inventive projects everywhere, and memories they still talk about today. Kerry had a flamethrower that Louis James got to try out, and even a go cart, which tells you everything about his love for kids, the sense of adventure and curiosity that filled that house.
Evenings meant outdoor movies, swinging on the big swing, and wandering through Kerry’s workshop—which felt like stepping into an inventor’s mind, with projects in every stage of creation.
Not many people are blessed with a friend for 68 years. Kerry was one of the best—brilliant, adventurous, creative, generous, and full of life. I will carry these memories with me always.
— Ken Roberts
The eventual creation of HPI and the ability to work with your dad for many years later were the best ones I had in my healthcare career. He had so many great pieces of advice and guidance for us. As a new consultant, he would give me great advice to help our clients in their journey to Zero Harm, especially those that were having difficulty doing that. He also had great advice for a job “on the road”, including not to spend your life at the airport – he used to say that if you got there before they were making the “last call for boarding with your name” you got there too early 😉.
When he did presentations sharing all his knowledge, experience and advice, people would listen in rapt attention. I used to think when I saw slides decks of presentations that he had too many slides for the 60 minutes he had, but he always got it done and hit every one of those slides! I remember often in my early days working with him that I would be madly writing notes on what he would say so I could share these ideas in the future with my clients.
My thoughts are with all of you in the family. I will remember you all in my prayers in the coming months as you look back on the precious memories you have of your dad and share them with the next generation.
His directive usually to his children as they were leaving: Use superior judgement and always answer when I call. I keep this in my quiver for any who could use it.
Yes, we lost a good one, will miss him, Keith
Through the years we continued to look up to Kerry knowing he would lead us on a positive track in life and he took Monica and me to our first concert, Elton John's Goodbye Yellow brick Road at the U of U Huntsman Center, while he attended college there. He was a great family man to all of us. Miller Thanksgiving family get togethers were an important part to keep us all connected through the years. Gin rummy tournaments, poker games, golf tourneys, Mexican food night, and of course the delicious Thanksgiving foods were key to such a fun weekend. We will miss you Kerry!
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