Craig M. Johnson, 85, passed away at 7:12 pm Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center Peoria, Illinois.
Craig was born on December 13, 1939, in Elgin, Illinois, the son of Hilding and Lucile (Larson) Johnson. He graduated from Galesburg High School in1957 and earned his bachelor’s degree from MacMurray College in 1961.
Craig married Marcia L. Callahan on January 3, 1965, in Galesburg and together expanded their family to a family of five welcoming children, Eric, Preston, Kimberly, Christine and Shannon.
Craig owned and operated Galesburg Electric for over 50 years. He believed community involvement was very important. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Craig volunteered for the Galesburg High School Booster Club as well as the Carl Sandburg College Booster Club. He enjoyed coaching numerous athletic teams in the area and served on the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee for Galesburg High School. Craig had a love for singing and participated in many Choral Dynamics productions. Craig also had a passion for playing a match of tennis in his free time.
Craig and Marcia were great supporters of all things basketball in the Galesburg area. So much that they constructed a full court basketball court in their backyard, installing lights for kids to have the opportunity to play basketball at all hours. Making it an inviting and safe place for neighborhood kids to hang out.
Craig is survived by his wife of sixty years, Marcia; his children, Eric (Katrina) Johnson, Preston Johnson, and Kimberly (Charles) Lunsford all of Galesburg and Shannon (fiancé Stephen Nowak) Johnson of Glenview, Illinois; his sister, Barbara (Tobbe) Wangelid of Galesburg and four grandchildren, Kendall Johnson, Katyn (fiancé Austin Price) Pica-Johnson, Audrey Johnson and Jesse Lunsford. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Christine in 1973 and his parents.
Visitation will be held from 10:00-Noon, Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Galesburg Chapel. A closing prayer will be offered by his sons, Eric and Preston at Noon. Craig’s wishes were to be cremated and placed in the family niche at Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to the Galesburg Public School Foundation for the benefit of Craig Johnson Memorial Athletic Fund. Online condolences may be offered at www.h-p-w.com.
