Erik H. Johnson, 35, of Mercer, PA passed away surrounded by his wife and family at 7:29 a.m. Friday morning, October 16, 2020, at his home, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Erik was born September 30, 1985, in Dubois, PA, a son of William "Bill" Johnson, Sr. and Sherrie Johnson. A 2004 graduate of Reynolds High School in Greenville, PA, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2005.

While in the U.S. Navy, Erik was deployed to Iraq, and earned several citations for his service, such as the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, three Good Conduct Medals, and the Iraq Campaign Medal. He was stationed at many notable commands, including The Naval Safety Center and NATO. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Project Management from DeVry University; as well as a Masters Certificate from the Project Management Institute from DeVry University's Keller Institute of Management. He was honorably discharged in 2015 and had achieved the rank of Yeoman (Surface Warfare) Second Class Petty Officer.

Erik later went on to earn two additional Masters degrees from the Keller Institute of Management, a Masters of Technical Management and a Masters of Human Resource Management.

He was employed by Strategic Staffing Solutions, Detroit, MI, where he had worked as a sourcer for over five years.

First and foremost, Erik was a loving husband and dedicated father to his two boys. He simply loved spending time with his children, and took advantage of every opportunity he had to make them happy. He devoted his life to their every need and made sure they always knew they were loved beyond measure.

Erik served as committee chairman of Cub Scout Pack 83 in Mercer.

He was an active member of the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) community, from which he had made many dear, lifelong friends while traveling and competing at various events held throughout the country. His friends will always remember "Team Jetpack Operation", "Horse of Will", and some of his favorite cards, Wild Nacatl and Kird Ape. Erik also had many great memories from participating in a professional beer pong league while living in Virginia. He competed as Team Baneslayer as part of Virginia Beer Pong "VABP," and would travel to adjoining states to participate in tournaments.

Erik is survived by his wife of over 14 years, Erica L. (Daniels) Johnson, and their two sons, Seth and Orin Johnson, all of Mercer; his parents, Bill and Sherrie Johnson, Hermitage; mother and father-in-law, John and Connie Daniels, Mercer; maternal grandmother, Sally Dzamba; a sister, Kayla Johnson, of Hermitage; two brothers, William (Geneva) Johnson, Jr., Lancaster, S.C., and Devon Johnson and his fiancé, Makayla, both of Hermitage.

Erik was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, John Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made directly to the family online via GoFundMe at gf.me/u/y3mr3s.

A celebration of Erik's life will be planned at a later date.