My dearest love to CrosbyClan for sponsoring my memorial of our beloved friend Matt. Your gift is so precious to me - and I appreciate you! Thank you so much! It is still difficult to add information and pictures, but I am getting there slowly!
Pictures and obituary soon. Our wonderful friend Lt. Matt Johnson, Seattle firefighter and devoted husband and father, died while battling the Blackstock Lumber fire in Seattle in 1989. With his death, many changes came about across the nation in how fire departments tracked their fire fighters when entering a burning building.
Miss you so. We know you are looking down on your family and friends, playing the guitar, and dancing in heaven. We will never forget our wedding when you planned the music and played for us, friend. You are missed by many. You are forever in our hearts. Rest in sweet heavenly peace.
We will continue to add flowers on the location of the Blackstock Lumber land, to honor you, my friend. You are greatly missed.
--
FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Monday, September 11, 1989-
Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson, killed in a four-alarm blaze on the city's waterfront, dreamed of becoming a firefighter from the time he was a youngster, his father recalled yesterday.
Darrell Johnson, of Renton, said his son ''was one of those kids who always wanted to be a firefighter.'' He cared about others from an early age, the father said, and spent much of his time as a firefighter riding in aid cars. About an hour before the first alarm at 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Johnson called his father. ''He called me to give me some support'' because of a tough School Board campaign, said the elder Johnson. The father is running for a seat on the Renton School Board. Then they talked about Matthew Johnson's 14-month-old son, Benjamin, and of getting together as a family - grandfather, father and son, said Darrell Johnson.
'' 'I'll talk to you tomorrow,' '' were Johnson's words as they ended their conversation, the father said.
The next call came about 1:30 a.m. from the Fire Department with word of his son's death.
Johnson is survived by his wife, Esther, and son, of Issaquah.
''He was just a very gung-ho, dedicated guy in a quiet, unassuming manner,'' said Paul Harvey, a paramedic who knew Johnson. ''You just don't find them like that.''
His ambition ''from day one in the Fire Department'' was to become a paramedic, said Al Sprague, a paramedic who had befriended Johnson.
Johnson took a different path up Fire Department ranks, winning promotion to lieutenant about a year ago. ''He was always the guy willing to do the extra stuff,'' said Harvey. He said Johnson knew a lot about firefighting and emergency medical service and wrote articles on those subjects for professional journals.
Darrell Johnson said his son's articles described how emergency medical technicians could recognize signs of child abuse. They also dealt with the treatment of street alcoholics.
Johnson joined the Seattle Fire Department after graduating from Hazen High School in Renton and Central Washington University in Ellensburg.
--
FIREFIGHTER TRUST FUND
A trust fund is being established to assist Seattle firefighter Matthew Johnson's widow, Esther, and their son, Benjamin, according to Rich Sherrill, a family friend. The account will be set up by family friends and firefighters today at Security Pacific Bank of Washington.
Donations may be made by contacting any branch manager, Sherrill said.
Seattle Times, The (Washington) 11 September 1989, obit for FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Wednesday, September 13, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Johnson
SERVICE SET FOR MATTHEW JOHNSON
A memorial service for Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson will be held at noon Friday at St. Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E.
Johnson, a nine-year department veteran, died of smoke inhalation while fighting a fire Saturday night at the vacant Blackstock Lumber Co. on Elliott Avenue West. The cause of the blaze still is under investigation.
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Saturday, September 16, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Or Matthew Bear Johnson, 32
NORTHWEST SAYS FAREWELL TO FIREFIGHTER FAMILY, COLLEAGUES MOURN VICTIM OF BLAZE NEAR SEATTLE WATERFRONT
Nearly 1,100 uniformed firefighters and officers filed into St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral yesterday paying tribute to the memory and public service of a fallen comrade, who died Sunday battling a fire in the Blackstock Lumber Co. warehouse on Elliott Avenue West. In the cavernous Capitol Hill church, Seattle firefighters, led by Fire Chief Claude Harris, and others from public safety departments throughout the Northwest and British Columbia, joined with Johnson's loved ones for a public farewell.
More than 1,750 people filled St. Mark's for the noon service.
At a buffet reception later in the Westin Hotel grand ballroom, Johnson's father, Darrell Johnson, said his only son, 32, quite possibly would have felt embarrassed by the public outpouring of affection. And, too, the father said, his son would probably have felt humbled. ''He never did things to get accolades for them,'' the elder Johnson said. ''He did what he did because he believed it was right.''
During the service, friends and co-workers described the 6-foot-5 Johnson, a nine-year department member who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant earlier this year, as a big man with a big heart, a man with a nature so gentle many of his close friends had nicknamed him ''Matthew Bear.'' ''He was a man with a tender, reflective soul,'' said the Rev. Dick Wendt, a family friend who officiated at the service. Wendt, a Lutheran pastor, described the service as ''the family's gift of sharing their mourning with friends.''
Seated in a front row, facing the flag-draped coffin, were Johnson's widow, Esther; his father and mother, Darrell and Patricia Johnson, and other family members.
At times, Johnson's only child, 14-month-old Benjamin, wandered near the casket or crawled the steps leading to the altar.
Across an aisle from the family were Seattle Mayor Charles Royer, Seattle City Council members and other public officials.
A sea of dress uniforms - black and dark blues - filled another section of the church, and officers stood six-deep along side walls throughout the service.
In a reflection, Al Sprague Sr., a retired Seattle Fire Department deputy chief, recalled that it was Johnson's childhood desire to become a firefighter. Johnson joined the department in 1980. He graduated from Renton's Hazen High School, where he participated in a variety of sports, and attended Central Washington University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in health education. ''I was always impressed with Matt. He was bright and articulate, and he was very serious about his firefighting career,'' Sprague noted. ''There's no question in my mind that he would have gone as far as he wanted to go.''
During his years with the department, Johnson had been assigned to stations in Ballard, Crown Hill and Pioneer Square. He also had been an Issaquah volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, hazardous-materials response team member and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor. His last assignment was as an Engine 20 officer at the Interbay station, and it was while battling the four-alarm fire with that crew that he died. ''Matt understood the risks of being involved in firefighting, as we all do,'' Sprague said during the service.
''(Johnson's) kind and gentle approach to problem-solving was a model for all of us to follow,'' said Seattle Battalion Chief Mike Johnson. ''This is a very sad day for the fire service, not just in Seattle but all through the region,'' said department Chief Harris.
''We can't forget that a wife has lost a husband, a young son has lost a father and parents have lost a son. ''We're doing as much as we can to aid and assist the family,'' Harris said.
At the reception, the elder Johnson said he and his son had long ago made a father-son pact. ''We made a deal that I'd never do anything to embarrass him if he'd never do anything to embarrass me,'' the father said. ''He kept the deal. He only did things to honor me.''
Firefighters seek donations for trust fund-
Firefighters will be outside the Pioneer Square fire station at Second Avenue South and South Main Street tomorrow before and after the 1 p.m. Seahawks-Phoenix Cardinals game to accept public contributions to the Johnson Memorial Trust Fund.
The fund has been established to assist Johnson's widow, Esther, and their 14-month-old son, Benjamin. Contributions also may be sent to the trust fund in care of Security Pacific Bank of Washington, P.O. Box 3966, Seattle, 98124.
Pictures and obituary soon. Our wonderful friend Lt. Matt Johnson, Seattle firefighter and devoted husband and father, died while battling the Blackstock Lumber fire in Seattle in 1989. With his death, many changes came about across the nation in how fire departments tracked their fire fighters when entering a burning building.
Miss you so. We know you are looking down on your family and friends, playing the guitar, and dancing in heaven. We will never forget our wedding when you planned the music and played for us, friend. You are missed by many. You are forever in our hearts. Rest in sweet heavenly peace.
We will continue to add flowers on the location of the Blackstock Lumber land, to honor you, my friend. You are greatly missed.
--
FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Monday, September 11, 1989-
Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson, killed in a four-alarm blaze on the city's waterfront, dreamed of becoming a firefighter from the time he was a youngster, his father recalled yesterday.
Darrell Johnson, of Renton, said his son ''was one of those kids who always wanted to be a firefighter.'' He cared about others from an early age, the father said, and spent much of his time as a firefighter riding in aid cars. About an hour before the first alarm at 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Johnson called his father. ''He called me to give me some support'' because of a tough School Board campaign, said the elder Johnson. The father is running for a seat on the Renton School Board. Then they talked about Matthew Johnson's 14-month-old son, Benjamin, and of getting together as a family - grandfather, father and son, said Darrell Johnson.
'' 'I'll talk to you tomorrow,' '' were Johnson's words as they ended their conversation, the father said.
The next call came about 1:30 a.m. from the Fire Department with word of his son's death.
Johnson is survived by his wife, Esther, and son, of Issaquah.
''He was just a very gung-ho, dedicated guy in a quiet, unassuming manner,'' said Paul Harvey, a paramedic who knew Johnson. ''You just don't find them like that.''
His ambition ''from day one in the Fire Department'' was to become a paramedic, said Al Sprague, a paramedic who had befriended Johnson.
Johnson took a different path up Fire Department ranks, winning promotion to lieutenant about a year ago. ''He was always the guy willing to do the extra stuff,'' said Harvey. He said Johnson knew a lot about firefighting and emergency medical service and wrote articles on those subjects for professional journals.
Darrell Johnson said his son's articles described how emergency medical technicians could recognize signs of child abuse. They also dealt with the treatment of street alcoholics.
Johnson joined the Seattle Fire Department after graduating from Hazen High School in Renton and Central Washington University in Ellensburg.
--
FIREFIGHTER TRUST FUND
A trust fund is being established to assist Seattle firefighter Matthew Johnson's widow, Esther, and their son, Benjamin, according to Rich Sherrill, a family friend. The account will be set up by family friends and firefighters today at Security Pacific Bank of Washington.
Donations may be made by contacting any branch manager, Sherrill said.
Seattle Times, The (Washington) 11 September 1989, obit for FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Wednesday, September 13, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Johnson
SERVICE SET FOR MATTHEW JOHNSON
A memorial service for Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson will be held at noon Friday at St. Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E.
Johnson, a nine-year department veteran, died of smoke inhalation while fighting a fire Saturday night at the vacant Blackstock Lumber Co. on Elliott Avenue West. The cause of the blaze still is under investigation.
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Saturday, September 16, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Or Matthew Bear Johnson, 32
NORTHWEST SAYS FAREWELL TO FIREFIGHTER FAMILY, COLLEAGUES MOURN VICTIM OF BLAZE NEAR SEATTLE WATERFRONT
Nearly 1,100 uniformed firefighters and officers filed into St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral yesterday paying tribute to the memory and public service of a fallen comrade, who died Sunday battling a fire in the Blackstock Lumber Co. warehouse on Elliott Avenue West. In the cavernous Capitol Hill church, Seattle firefighters, led by Fire Chief Claude Harris, and others from public safety departments throughout the Northwest and British Columbia, joined with Johnson's loved ones for a public farewell.
More than 1,750 people filled St. Mark's for the noon service.
At a buffet reception later in the Westin Hotel grand ballroom, Johnson's father, Darrell Johnson, said his only son, 32, quite possibly would have felt embarrassed by the public outpouring of affection. And, too, the father said, his son would probably have felt humbled. ''He never did things to get accolades for them,'' the elder Johnson said. ''He did what he did because he believed it was right.''
During the service, friends and co-workers described the 6-foot-5 Johnson, a nine-year department member who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant earlier this year, as a big man with a big heart, a man with a nature so gentle many of his close friends had nicknamed him ''Matthew Bear.'' ''He was a man with a tender, reflective soul,'' said the Rev. Dick Wendt, a family friend who officiated at the service. Wendt, a Lutheran pastor, described the service as ''the family's gift of sharing their mourning with friends.''
Seated in a front row, facing the flag-draped coffin, were Johnson's widow, Esther; his father and mother, Darrell and Patricia Johnson, and other family members.
At times, Johnson's only child, 14-month-old Benjamin, wandered near the casket or crawled the steps leading to the altar.
Across an aisle from the family were Seattle Mayor Charles Royer, Seattle City Council members and other public officials.
A sea of dress uniforms - black and dark blues - filled another section of the church, and officers stood six-deep along side walls throughout the service.
In a reflection, Al Sprague Sr., a retired Seattle Fire Department deputy chief, recalled that it was Johnson's childhood desire to become a firefighter. Johnson joined the department in 1980. He graduated from Renton's Hazen High School, where he participated in a variety of sports, and attended Central Washington University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in health education. ''I was always impressed with Matt. He was bright and articulate, and he was very serious about his firefighting career,'' Sprague noted. ''There's no question in my mind that he would have gone as far as he wanted to go.''
During his years with the department, Johnson had been assigned to stations in Ballard, Crown Hill and Pioneer Square. He also had been an Issaquah volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, hazardous-materials response team member and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor. His last assignment was as an Engine 20 officer at the Interbay station, and it was while battling the four-alarm fire with that crew that he died. ''Matt understood the risks of being involved in firefighting, as we all do,'' Sprague said during the service.
''(Johnson's) kind and gentle approach to problem-solving was a model for all of us to follow,'' said Seattle Battalion Chief Mike Johnson. ''This is a very sad day for the fire service, not just in Seattle but all through the region,'' said department Chief Harris.
''We can't forget that a wife has lost a husband, a young son has lost a father and parents have lost a son. ''We're doing as much as we can to aid and assist the family,'' Harris said.
At the reception, the elder Johnson said he and his son had long ago made a father-son pact. ''We made a deal that I'd never do anything to embarrass him if he'd never do anything to embarrass me,'' the father said. ''He kept the deal. He only did things to honor me.''
Firefighters seek donations for trust fund-
Firefighters will be outside the Pioneer Square fire station at Second Avenue South and South Main Street tomorrow before and after the 1 p.m. Seahawks-Phoenix Cardinals game to accept public contributions to the Johnson Memorial Trust Fund.
The fund has been established to assist Johnson's widow, Esther, and their 14-month-old son, Benjamin. Contributions also may be sent to the trust fund in care of Security Pacific Bank of Washington, P.O. Box 3966, Seattle, 98124.
My dearest love to CrosbyClan for sponsoring my memorial of our beloved friend Matt. Your gift is so precious to me - and I appreciate you! Thank you so much! It is still difficult to add information and pictures, but I am getting there slowly!
Pictures and obituary soon. Our wonderful friend Lt. Matt Johnson, Seattle firefighter and devoted husband and father, died while battling the Blackstock Lumber fire in Seattle in 1989. With his death, many changes came about across the nation in how fire departments tracked their fire fighters when entering a burning building.
Miss you so. We know you are looking down on your family and friends, playing the guitar, and dancing in heaven. We will never forget our wedding when you planned the music and played for us, friend. You are missed by many. You are forever in our hearts. Rest in sweet heavenly peace.
We will continue to add flowers on the location of the Blackstock Lumber land, to honor you, my friend. You are greatly missed.
--
FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Monday, September 11, 1989-
Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson, killed in a four-alarm blaze on the city's waterfront, dreamed of becoming a firefighter from the time he was a youngster, his father recalled yesterday.
Darrell Johnson, of Renton, said his son ''was one of those kids who always wanted to be a firefighter.'' He cared about others from an early age, the father said, and spent much of his time as a firefighter riding in aid cars. About an hour before the first alarm at 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Johnson called his father. ''He called me to give me some support'' because of a tough School Board campaign, said the elder Johnson. The father is running for a seat on the Renton School Board. Then they talked about Matthew Johnson's 14-month-old son, Benjamin, and of getting together as a family - grandfather, father and son, said Darrell Johnson.
'' 'I'll talk to you tomorrow,' '' were Johnson's words as they ended their conversation, the father said.
The next call came about 1:30 a.m. from the Fire Department with word of his son's death.
Johnson is survived by his wife, Esther, and son, of Issaquah.
''He was just a very gung-ho, dedicated guy in a quiet, unassuming manner,'' said Paul Harvey, a paramedic who knew Johnson. ''You just don't find them like that.''
His ambition ''from day one in the Fire Department'' was to become a paramedic, said Al Sprague, a paramedic who had befriended Johnson.
Johnson took a different path up Fire Department ranks, winning promotion to lieutenant about a year ago. ''He was always the guy willing to do the extra stuff,'' said Harvey. He said Johnson knew a lot about firefighting and emergency medical service and wrote articles on those subjects for professional journals.
Darrell Johnson said his son's articles described how emergency medical technicians could recognize signs of child abuse. They also dealt with the treatment of street alcoholics.
Johnson joined the Seattle Fire Department after graduating from Hazen High School in Renton and Central Washington University in Ellensburg.
--
FIREFIGHTER TRUST FUND
A trust fund is being established to assist Seattle firefighter Matthew Johnson's widow, Esther, and their son, Benjamin, according to Rich Sherrill, a family friend. The account will be set up by family friends and firefighters today at Security Pacific Bank of Washington.
Donations may be made by contacting any branch manager, Sherrill said.
Seattle Times, The (Washington) 11 September 1989, obit for FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Wednesday, September 13, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Johnson
SERVICE SET FOR MATTHEW JOHNSON
A memorial service for Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson will be held at noon Friday at St. Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E.
Johnson, a nine-year department veteran, died of smoke inhalation while fighting a fire Saturday night at the vacant Blackstock Lumber Co. on Elliott Avenue West. The cause of the blaze still is under investigation.
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Saturday, September 16, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Or Matthew Bear Johnson, 32
NORTHWEST SAYS FAREWELL TO FIREFIGHTER FAMILY, COLLEAGUES MOURN VICTIM OF BLAZE NEAR SEATTLE WATERFRONT
Nearly 1,100 uniformed firefighters and officers filed into St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral yesterday paying tribute to the memory and public service of a fallen comrade, who died Sunday battling a fire in the Blackstock Lumber Co. warehouse on Elliott Avenue West. In the cavernous Capitol Hill church, Seattle firefighters, led by Fire Chief Claude Harris, and others from public safety departments throughout the Northwest and British Columbia, joined with Johnson's loved ones for a public farewell.
More than 1,750 people filled St. Mark's for the noon service.
At a buffet reception later in the Westin Hotel grand ballroom, Johnson's father, Darrell Johnson, said his only son, 32, quite possibly would have felt embarrassed by the public outpouring of affection. And, too, the father said, his son would probably have felt humbled. ''He never did things to get accolades for them,'' the elder Johnson said. ''He did what he did because he believed it was right.''
During the service, friends and co-workers described the 6-foot-5 Johnson, a nine-year department member who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant earlier this year, as a big man with a big heart, a man with a nature so gentle many of his close friends had nicknamed him ''Matthew Bear.'' ''He was a man with a tender, reflective soul,'' said the Rev. Dick Wendt, a family friend who officiated at the service. Wendt, a Lutheran pastor, described the service as ''the family's gift of sharing their mourning with friends.''
Seated in a front row, facing the flag-draped coffin, were Johnson's widow, Esther; his father and mother, Darrell and Patricia Johnson, and other family members.
At times, Johnson's only child, 14-month-old Benjamin, wandered near the casket or crawled the steps leading to the altar.
Across an aisle from the family were Seattle Mayor Charles Royer, Seattle City Council members and other public officials.
A sea of dress uniforms - black and dark blues - filled another section of the church, and officers stood six-deep along side walls throughout the service.
In a reflection, Al Sprague Sr., a retired Seattle Fire Department deputy chief, recalled that it was Johnson's childhood desire to become a firefighter. Johnson joined the department in 1980. He graduated from Renton's Hazen High School, where he participated in a variety of sports, and attended Central Washington University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in health education. ''I was always impressed with Matt. He was bright and articulate, and he was very serious about his firefighting career,'' Sprague noted. ''There's no question in my mind that he would have gone as far as he wanted to go.''
During his years with the department, Johnson had been assigned to stations in Ballard, Crown Hill and Pioneer Square. He also had been an Issaquah volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, hazardous-materials response team member and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor. His last assignment was as an Engine 20 officer at the Interbay station, and it was while battling the four-alarm fire with that crew that he died. ''Matt understood the risks of being involved in firefighting, as we all do,'' Sprague said during the service.
''(Johnson's) kind and gentle approach to problem-solving was a model for all of us to follow,'' said Seattle Battalion Chief Mike Johnson. ''This is a very sad day for the fire service, not just in Seattle but all through the region,'' said department Chief Harris.
''We can't forget that a wife has lost a husband, a young son has lost a father and parents have lost a son. ''We're doing as much as we can to aid and assist the family,'' Harris said.
At the reception, the elder Johnson said he and his son had long ago made a father-son pact. ''We made a deal that I'd never do anything to embarrass him if he'd never do anything to embarrass me,'' the father said. ''He kept the deal. He only did things to honor me.''
Firefighters seek donations for trust fund-
Firefighters will be outside the Pioneer Square fire station at Second Avenue South and South Main Street tomorrow before and after the 1 p.m. Seahawks-Phoenix Cardinals game to accept public contributions to the Johnson Memorial Trust Fund.
The fund has been established to assist Johnson's widow, Esther, and their 14-month-old son, Benjamin. Contributions also may be sent to the trust fund in care of Security Pacific Bank of Washington, P.O. Box 3966, Seattle, 98124.
Pictures and obituary soon. Our wonderful friend Lt. Matt Johnson, Seattle firefighter and devoted husband and father, died while battling the Blackstock Lumber fire in Seattle in 1989. With his death, many changes came about across the nation in how fire departments tracked their fire fighters when entering a burning building.
Miss you so. We know you are looking down on your family and friends, playing the guitar, and dancing in heaven. We will never forget our wedding when you planned the music and played for us, friend. You are missed by many. You are forever in our hearts. Rest in sweet heavenly peace.
We will continue to add flowers on the location of the Blackstock Lumber land, to honor you, my friend. You are greatly missed.
--
FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Monday, September 11, 1989-
Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson, killed in a four-alarm blaze on the city's waterfront, dreamed of becoming a firefighter from the time he was a youngster, his father recalled yesterday.
Darrell Johnson, of Renton, said his son ''was one of those kids who always wanted to be a firefighter.'' He cared about others from an early age, the father said, and spent much of his time as a firefighter riding in aid cars. About an hour before the first alarm at 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Johnson called his father. ''He called me to give me some support'' because of a tough School Board campaign, said the elder Johnson. The father is running for a seat on the Renton School Board. Then they talked about Matthew Johnson's 14-month-old son, Benjamin, and of getting together as a family - grandfather, father and son, said Darrell Johnson.
'' 'I'll talk to you tomorrow,' '' were Johnson's words as they ended their conversation, the father said.
The next call came about 1:30 a.m. from the Fire Department with word of his son's death.
Johnson is survived by his wife, Esther, and son, of Issaquah.
''He was just a very gung-ho, dedicated guy in a quiet, unassuming manner,'' said Paul Harvey, a paramedic who knew Johnson. ''You just don't find them like that.''
His ambition ''from day one in the Fire Department'' was to become a paramedic, said Al Sprague, a paramedic who had befriended Johnson.
Johnson took a different path up Fire Department ranks, winning promotion to lieutenant about a year ago. ''He was always the guy willing to do the extra stuff,'' said Harvey. He said Johnson knew a lot about firefighting and emergency medical service and wrote articles on those subjects for professional journals.
Darrell Johnson said his son's articles described how emergency medical technicians could recognize signs of child abuse. They also dealt with the treatment of street alcoholics.
Johnson joined the Seattle Fire Department after graduating from Hazen High School in Renton and Central Washington University in Ellensburg.
--
FIREFIGHTER TRUST FUND
A trust fund is being established to assist Seattle firefighter Matthew Johnson's widow, Esther, and their son, Benjamin, according to Rich Sherrill, a family friend. The account will be set up by family friends and firefighters today at Security Pacific Bank of Washington.
Donations may be made by contacting any branch manager, Sherrill said.
Seattle Times, The (Washington) 11 September 1989, obit for FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED WAS LIVING HIS DREAM
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Wednesday, September 13, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Johnson
SERVICE SET FOR MATTHEW JOHNSON
A memorial service for Seattle Fire Department Lt. Matthew Johnson will be held at noon Friday at St. Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E.
Johnson, a nine-year department veteran, died of smoke inhalation while fighting a fire Saturday night at the vacant Blackstock Lumber Co. on Elliott Avenue West. The cause of the blaze still is under investigation.
--
Seattle Times, The (WA) - Saturday, September 16, 1989-
Lieutenant Matthew Or Matthew Bear Johnson, 32
NORTHWEST SAYS FAREWELL TO FIREFIGHTER FAMILY, COLLEAGUES MOURN VICTIM OF BLAZE NEAR SEATTLE WATERFRONT
Nearly 1,100 uniformed firefighters and officers filed into St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral yesterday paying tribute to the memory and public service of a fallen comrade, who died Sunday battling a fire in the Blackstock Lumber Co. warehouse on Elliott Avenue West. In the cavernous Capitol Hill church, Seattle firefighters, led by Fire Chief Claude Harris, and others from public safety departments throughout the Northwest and British Columbia, joined with Johnson's loved ones for a public farewell.
More than 1,750 people filled St. Mark's for the noon service.
At a buffet reception later in the Westin Hotel grand ballroom, Johnson's father, Darrell Johnson, said his only son, 32, quite possibly would have felt embarrassed by the public outpouring of affection. And, too, the father said, his son would probably have felt humbled. ''He never did things to get accolades for them,'' the elder Johnson said. ''He did what he did because he believed it was right.''
During the service, friends and co-workers described the 6-foot-5 Johnson, a nine-year department member who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant earlier this year, as a big man with a big heart, a man with a nature so gentle many of his close friends had nicknamed him ''Matthew Bear.'' ''He was a man with a tender, reflective soul,'' said the Rev. Dick Wendt, a family friend who officiated at the service. Wendt, a Lutheran pastor, described the service as ''the family's gift of sharing their mourning with friends.''
Seated in a front row, facing the flag-draped coffin, were Johnson's widow, Esther; his father and mother, Darrell and Patricia Johnson, and other family members.
At times, Johnson's only child, 14-month-old Benjamin, wandered near the casket or crawled the steps leading to the altar.
Across an aisle from the family were Seattle Mayor Charles Royer, Seattle City Council members and other public officials.
A sea of dress uniforms - black and dark blues - filled another section of the church, and officers stood six-deep along side walls throughout the service.
In a reflection, Al Sprague Sr., a retired Seattle Fire Department deputy chief, recalled that it was Johnson's childhood desire to become a firefighter. Johnson joined the department in 1980. He graduated from Renton's Hazen High School, where he participated in a variety of sports, and attended Central Washington University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in health education. ''I was always impressed with Matt. He was bright and articulate, and he was very serious about his firefighting career,'' Sprague noted. ''There's no question in my mind that he would have gone as far as he wanted to go.''
During his years with the department, Johnson had been assigned to stations in Ballard, Crown Hill and Pioneer Square. He also had been an Issaquah volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, hazardous-materials response team member and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor. His last assignment was as an Engine 20 officer at the Interbay station, and it was while battling the four-alarm fire with that crew that he died. ''Matt understood the risks of being involved in firefighting, as we all do,'' Sprague said during the service.
''(Johnson's) kind and gentle approach to problem-solving was a model for all of us to follow,'' said Seattle Battalion Chief Mike Johnson. ''This is a very sad day for the fire service, not just in Seattle but all through the region,'' said department Chief Harris.
''We can't forget that a wife has lost a husband, a young son has lost a father and parents have lost a son. ''We're doing as much as we can to aid and assist the family,'' Harris said.
At the reception, the elder Johnson said he and his son had long ago made a father-son pact. ''We made a deal that I'd never do anything to embarrass him if he'd never do anything to embarrass me,'' the father said. ''He kept the deal. He only did things to honor me.''
Firefighters seek donations for trust fund-
Firefighters will be outside the Pioneer Square fire station at Second Avenue South and South Main Street tomorrow before and after the 1 p.m. Seahawks-Phoenix Cardinals game to accept public contributions to the Johnson Memorial Trust Fund.
The fund has been established to assist Johnson's widow, Esther, and their 14-month-old son, Benjamin. Contributions also may be sent to the trust fund in care of Security Pacific Bank of Washington, P.O. Box 3966, Seattle, 98124.
