Obituary of Stephen W. Johnson

STEPHEN W. JOHNSON, of Pittsburgh (Oakland), passed into eternity on June 11, 2020, at age 61, from peritoneal cancer. Stephen confessed regularly that he was a poor miserable sinner who deserved eternal death. But solely by the grace of God-that is, God's undeserved love-he was saved from death and given eternal life with the Father through faith in Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross in Stephen's place for the forgiveness of his sins. This faith was given to him by the power of the Holy Spirit in the waters of Holy Baptism and was nurtured throughout his life by the Word of God and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, as a member of First Trinity Lutheran Church in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh for many years and more recently as a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Bridgeville. Stephen was a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Pittsburgh Law School. He worked as an attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll, Reed Smith and CONSOL Energy, (now CNX Corporation). He enjoyed genealogy, running and long, exploratory walks in and around Pittsburgh. His soul is now with Jesus, as his body awaits its resurrection from the dead upon the glorious return of that same Jesus Christ to this earth. THIS is who Stephen was: a sinner redeemed by Christ. Stephen is survived by his beloved wife and best friend, Tracey (nee Hindin), his two wonderful sons, Samuel and Adam; his brother, John (Patti Littman); his brother, Michael (Carrie) Thomas, his sister-in-law, Ruth, and nephews John, Douglas, Benjamin, Jacob and Christopher. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Audrey Johnson, and his brother, Donald. The family will receive friends on Monday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the Warchol Funeral Home Inc., 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville (412.221.3333). A Christian funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 11 AM at ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH, 3197 Washington Pike, Bridgeville. The family requests no flowers, and in lieu of flowers, if desired, contributions be made to the First Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church Benevolence Fund (531 N Neville St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213), which provides emergency funds to people in need.