Sutton resident Charles “Charlie” Ray Johnson, 79, passed away Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Bryan Medical Center West Campus in Lincoln.

Memorial services were conducted at 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at the Federated Church in Sutton with Pastor Edison Toe officiating. Graveside services took place at 2 p.m., Thursday at the Stockham Cemetery in Stockham. A book signing was held on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m., with the family present from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., at Sutton Memorial Chapel in Sutton. Memorial contributions may be directed to the family to be designated later. Condolences may be left at www.suttonmemorial.com Charlie was born November 8, 1946, in Benkelman, NE, to E.E. “Bud” and Alma (Spears) Johnson. His early years were spent in the Haigler/Ogallala area. When he was in elementary school, his parents, brother Gerald “Jerry”, and Charlie, moved to Sutton to help Charlie’s grandparents, Grace and Ray Johnson, and great-aunt Anna Stockham. Charlie graduated from Sutton High School and then attended Central Community College for mechanic training. He met his future wife, Connie Krull, on a blind date. In the summer of 1968, Charlie entered the Navy to fulfill his military duty. After basic training, he had a deployment to Vietnam and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After he was finally based in the United States, Connie and Charlie were married on June 6, 1971, and moved to an apartment near his Davisville Construction Battalion base in Rhode Island. After Charlie was released from the Navy, the young couple moved back to Nebraska. They lived a year in Kearney and then moved back to Sutton to work with Charlie’s father in the cattle business. He worked in the cattle business for several years and then went to work in the automotive business for most of the rest of his life. His final job before retiring was as a farm tire service repairman.

Charlie and his wife, Connie, have four children: Jeff, who teaches English as a second language in China; Andy, who works in Lincoln; Pam and her husband, Rusty, and their children, Sadie and Daniel; and Chris and his wife, Amy, and their sons, Jacob and Eli.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Connie; his children, Jeff, Andy, Pam and Chris; and his four grandchildren, Sadie, Daniel, Jacob and Eli.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Gerald “Jerry.”