July 10, 1973 - February 19, 2026
Craig Donald Johnson passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on February 19, 2026, at the age of 52 after a courageous battle with mental health challenges. Craig was born on July 10, 1973, in Minneapolis, MN.
Craig graduated from Edina High School and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Augsburg University. He worked as a paraprofessional at Edina Valley View Middle School, where he supported children with special needs.
His greatest passion was coaching youth hockey, a commitment he dedicated himself to for 30 years. Craig genuinely cared for each and every one of his players, always making sure every child felt valued and important. His coaching went far beyond teaching skills on the ice — he taught young people how to be better teammates and better human beings. Many of his former players remained in touch with him, a testament to the lasting impact he had on their lives. In 2019, he was honored as an Edina Hockey Association Cornerstone Inductee in recognition of his years of dedicated service to the youth hockey program.
He touched countless people through his endless kindness, thoughtfulness, wacky sense of humor, and the unbounded generosity that defined him. He loved socializing at his local watering hole, where he even had a hamburger named in his honor — the “Craigster.” He lived his life as an example to all of us, always offering unconditional kindness, putting others first, and seeing the beauty in everyone he met.
He is survived by his loving family: mother, Beverly Johnson; his siblings, Janae Hentges (Peter), Julie Johnson, Derek Johnson (Jolyn Brakke-Johnson), and his cherished nieces and nephews, Joseph, Sydney, Thomas, Nicholas, Ella, Noah, and Natalie.
He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Johnson.
Our family takes comfort knowing he is now at peace and is reunited with our father, Donald; grandparents, Jalmer and Louise Johnson, and Arthur and Agnes Jacobson, and a special cousin, Daniel, and is with the Lord in heaven.
The family would like to thank the medical staff at Hennepin County Medical Center for their extraordinary care and compassion.
A celebration of Craig’s life will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, click here to join a livestream of the service at Woodlake Lutheran Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Edina Education Fund Heal Together Campaign or to Woodlake Lutheran Church.
Celebration of Life
Saturday, February 28, 2026
11:00 AM
Visitation 1-hour prior to service.
Woodlake Lutheran Church
2120 W. 76th Street
Richfield, MN 55423
My deepest condolences. I first met Craig as his baseball coach when he was 13 years old. We later reconnected working at DaBeauty League games and talking hockey the last few years. He will be greatly missed. May his memory be a blessing.
From day one, Craig was one of our biggest supporters. We knew right away what a fixture he was in the community, as he was often jokingly referred to as the “Mayor of Edina”. He knew almost everyone who came through our doors and would hop from table to table talking, and we loved that about him.
His generosity, humor, and heart of gold made him a friend to all, and that was also true in the way he treated our staff. The day never felt complete without seeing him, and his presence will be truly missed by his Town Hall Station family.
Craig was a good guy and always for a fun conversation. His passion for hockey was unmatched! Always appreciated the miscellaneous messages calling out Chicago stuff. Was awesome he remembered little things about people to connect them to. He will be missed.
Our family was blessed to have known Craig both as a knowledgeable, caring, competitive Coach and a stand up human being who brought smiles to everyone who ran into him around the city throughout his lifetime. Rest in peace Craiger, you will be missed and remembered my friend!!!
Mike & Molly Wurst
Emmett
Connor
Brennan
Sad to hear this news. Craig and I were really good friends in junior high and high school. We spent a lot of time playing hockey at Weber Park and watching Steven Seagal movies at his house. Craig was a great guy. Prayers go out to the family.
My dearest Janae,
There truly are no words sufficient for a loss like this. My heart aches for you and for your entire family as you grieve the passing of your beloved brother, Craig. Fifty-two is far too young, and I cannot imagine the depth of what you are carrying right now.
From everything shared about Craig’s life, it is so clear what a remarkable man he was. His devotion to the children he served at Edina Valley View Middle School, his decades of coaching youth hockey, and the way he made every child feel seen, valued, and important, that is a legacy that will ripple on for generations. The measure of a life is not in years, but in impact, and Craig’s impact was extraordinary. To shape young people not only as players but as better teammates and better human beings speaks volumes about his heart.
To be honored as a Cornerstone inductee with the Edina Hockey Association says so much about the commitment and love he poured into that community. And the stories, the wacky humor, the endless kindness, the generosity, even having “The Craigster” named in his honor, paint a picture of a man who brought light and warmth wherever he went.
Janae, I have known you since 1985. Through all of life’s seasons, you have been such a dear and steady friend to me. Please know that I am holding you especially close in prayer and in my heart right now. I am praying for comfort that surpasses understanding, for strength in the hardest moments, and for peace in knowing that Craig is now free from struggle and at rest.
To your entire family, may you feel surrounded by love, by the gratitude of the countless lives Craig touched, and by the assurance that his goodness lives on in every young person he encouraged and believed in.
I love you, my friend. I am here, today and in all the days ahead.
With deepest sympathy and all my heart,
Reneé Durocher
I’m so very sorry to hear of Craig’s passing. Sending so much love to the entire extended Johnson family.
Our family was blessed to have known Craig both as a knowledgeable, caring, competitive Coach and a stand-up human being who brought smiles to everyone who ran into him around the city throughout his lifetime. Rest in peace Craiger, you will be missed and remembered my friend!!!
Mike & Molly Wurst
Emmett
Connor
Brennan
RIP Craig.
I worked with you for a year in the late 90s. Good guy and passionate about youth hockey. Glad to hear you kept coaching.
Youth hockey will miss you.
I am deeply saddened by Craig’s passing. It’s hard to imagine not having his presence around anymore. Over the years, Craig and I shared so many conversations about hockey, and we even had the chance to coach together a couple of times. He truly cared about the kids’ development and about Edina hockey as a whole. He always had a smile, always had something thoughtful to share—whether it was about a team’s strengths or who he thought might win the Cup.
Godspeed, Craig. You will be deeply missed.
We are very saddened by Craig’s passing. He coached my oldest son’s summer team and we’ve been friends ever since. We share the same name and birthdate but I was 10 years older so we had to give him a nickname. The Moms on the team decided to call him “Coach Handsome.” It was fitting. He was always smiling and very easy to talk to. He was a great friend, a great coach and a great man! My entire family will miss him terribly.
Craig will be missed by family friends and also valley view students and staff it is super sad I loved him to bottom of my heart rip
I was shocked and saddened to hear of Craig’s passing. I worked with Craig for many years at USBank. He brought joy and laughter into our office but everyone knew his true passion was coaching. May he rest in peace. My condolences to his family.
Very sorry to see this. Craig coached our son early in Craig’s hockey coaching career. He loved hockey and you accurately described the way he enjoyed knowing, teaching and celebrating hockey with the kids he coached. We hope for strength in your sadness and knowing the good he did in his life.
Dear Johnson family,
We were blessed to know and love Craig
He was an amazing hockey coach at EHA and he coached our son Billy. He was always so positive and always had a smile on his face. He was loved by all who met him.
We are so very sorry for his untimely passing. Sending all our love and prayers to your family!
Love from the Hollway family,
Bill & Mary; Billy, Katie & Gabrielle; Mike, Whitley & Owen; & Molly, Will and Lucy
I played on a bantam team he coached. Absolutely an amazing human being. My best memory of him is how my mom gave him a ticket to Summerslam 1999 if he would drive my brother and me.
Sadly gone too soon.
It’s very sad to hear of Craig’s passing. We were first classmates in kindergarten at Cornelia Elementary School, graduated from Edina High School together, and then spent our first two years of college together at Normandale Community College. We had a lot of great memories together in the 1990s in our first decade of adulthood. Craig did not think of himself as exceptional, but he lived an exceptional life compared to many of us by dedicating himself to youth hockey and children’s education. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but when Craig started volunteering as a coach in the 1990s, he was laying the foundation for what would become his legacy. Craig pursued selflessness rather than material gains, and I will always have a deep respect for the choices he made. Craig posted on his facebook page, just under his profile photo, a photo of a young Willard “Coach” Ikola, our gym teacher at Valley View Jr. High and the legendary coach of the Edina High School boys hockey team. Craig had a deep desire to enter the echelons of hockey greatness like Coach Ikola. After scrolling through his facebook photos today and seeing all of the appreciation the Edina hockey community showed to Craig over the years, I realize that he achieved his goal. I live overseas and I won’t be able to attend his funeral, but may his family please accept my condolences for the passing of a great son, brother, uncle and friend.
I’m saddened to hear this news.
This has aptly described Craig and brought back memories.
Count me among Craig’s many players whom he coached with a lasting impact. His dedication and passion must’ve been self-evident. As a player, I’ve known many coaches across sports, but none quite like him.
Craig made me feel uniquely valued. For me, this came from his confidence in me (greater than my own) and the time he invested to help me grow into the potential he already saw, even when I couldn’t yet see it.
Few coaches devoted as much off-ice time as Craig. He drove me to extra shooting sessions at Braemar, spent hours talking (snacks included), and now, reflecting back, his passion stands out.
On Craig’s sense of humor and goofiness: He knew full well he couldn’t hit the Whitney Houston’s notes. However, it didn’t stop him from delivering an unforgettable rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” which hilariously broke the ice for a night of Karaoke.
I’m grateful to have had Craig in my life. He helped me cultivate leadership, confidence, and of course physical ability. I hope you know his spirit can live on in the great many players whom he’s touched.
Wishing the Johnson family peace and comfort in the days ahead.
We will keep you in our hearts forever. You were a part of our lives for so many years. You were the little brother Jolene and Wes Jr never had. You touched so many lives with your kindness and gentle manner. Please greet our son when you get to Heaven.
I was sorry to hear of Craig’s passing. I graduated from EHS with him and only came to know him afterward. We played pickup hockey together with friends and also did a canoe trip in the BWCA in the late 90s.
I am heartened to know that Craig has left behind a positive legacy, having been such a great influence on so many young guys who he coached, and I am happy and proud to have been able to call him a friend.
As much as I am sad that Craig is no longer with us, I can say for myself that he is still with me in spirit. This is because I carry vivid memories of who he was and the things he did. I am sure that many of you who knew him will feel this way.
I just wanted to reach out and say how deeply sorry I am. Craig “craigers” Johnson was truly a special person. He was not only a great coach, but an even better human being. He was the kind of coach who made everyone’s day better the moment he walked into the rink. I can still picture his great smile.
He made his players better, not just on the ice, but in the way we carried himself and treated others. He believed in me, pushed me, and helped shape the player I became. He taught me how to be a better young man and shared so many lessons, not just about hockey, but about life, character, accountability, and doing things the right way.
He played a huge role in helping me reach my hockey aspirations, and I’ll always be grateful for that. He will always be someone I look up to and deeply appreciate.
Craiger was the best! He had a very unique and special ability to look up to the 11 & 12 year old kids he was coaching. He thought they were cool. The confidence that helps to instill at that age is so important for hockey and for life. His fun-loving and giving spirit will be greatly missed.