Paul Johnson

Paul Nailor Johnson, 86, of Bismarck ND passed away on October 28, 2025, and a private burial will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, North Dakota. There was no funeral or memorial service.

Paul was born in Sioux City, Iowa on July 14, 1939 to Gustav Arbie Johnson and Gertrude Nailor Johnson. He grew up in Whiting, Iowa and graduated from The Whiting high school in 1957 in a class of 17 students.

He attended various universities: Iowa State College (now Iowa State University), in Ames, Iowa, the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, and finally Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan where he received a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) degree. He then received an MBA from San Jose State University in San Jose, California. In between schools he served 4 years in the US Navy as a Fire Control Technician Second Class, and served 3 years on a destroyer after his training in San Diego, California. He also worked during the time after his Navy service in Chicago, South Haven, Michigan, and in northern California in the Bay Area.

In California he was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) in 1977. That was the smartest thing he ever did.

After working for various companies in California from 1973 until 2009, he moved to Bismarck, North Dakota in August, 2009. That was also a very wise move. The weather may be cold there, but the people have the standards of the people in Iowa where he grew up. And his apartment rent was 40% of what it was in California. He was an accountant most of his working life (not a CPA), and had a passion for collecting books (2,500), cartoons (140,000), jokes, and quotes.

He never married as he couldn't find someone who was interested.

In lieu of flowers or a memorial, he has requested that you take your spouse, children, parents, or someone you love out and buy them some ice cream.