Steven "Chopper" Johnson

Steven “Chopper” Johnson, age 65, of Yankton, SD passed away unexpectedly Monday, July 18, 2016 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD.

Chopper was born on May 8, 1951 to Clark F. Johnson, MD and Elizabeth Drier Johnson in Yankton, SD. He attended Sacred Heart School, graduated from Yankton High School in 1969 and from Dakota State College in Madison, SD in 1973.

On August 19th, 1972 Chopper married Marlene Rae Crawford, the love of his life. They enjoyed nearly 44 years of marriage. To this union, two children were born – Sara and Kyler, and two grandchildren – Isabella and Brooklyn – whom they adore.

Chopper was a big bear of a man who was able to get things done, help those who needed help and do the right thing without ever calling attention to himself. He was instrumental in starting the Yankton Community Feast which serves a free Thanksgiving meal to hundreds of people each year. In addition, Chopper has been a part of Riverboat Days since its inception in 1983. He and his wife, Marlene, were honored as Captain and Belle in 2014.

Chopper served the Yankton community as a member of the Yankton Volunteer Fire Department for over 30 years. He was a decorated veteran in the department and was proud of his service.

Chopper is survived by his wife, Marlene of Yankton, SD; daughter, Sara (Ted) Horning of Watertown, SD; son, Kyler of Yankton, SD; granddaughters, Isabella and Brooklyn; brother, Gene of Kansas City, KS, Clark, of Yankton, SD, Paul (Bridgid) of Dubuque, IA and sister, Mary (Lynn) of Rochester, MN.

Chopper was preceded in death by his father, Clark and his mother, Elizabeth.

The family suggests memorials to Yankton Riverboat Days, P. O. Box 483, Yankton, SD 57078 or the Yankton Community Feast, 913 West 8th Street, Yankton, SD 57078.