Terry L Johnson

If Terry Lee Johnson heard Roy Orbison singing “Pretty Woman”—regardless of where he happened to be at the time—he was going to start dancing. It was that simple, and as inevitable as was a bear-hug when Terry spotted people he knew and cherished. That’s who Terry was, He instinctively knew that life is far too important to be taken seriously, which explains how he elevated “goofing off” to an art form, why he watched more “Three Stooges” re-runs than anyone else on earth, and why he was so loved and admired but virtually every who met him…which was perhaps his most remarkable achievement.

Terry grew up in Peru surrounded by his large and colorful family, and his family remained front and center in his mind for his entire life. Rarely did a day pass without Terry making references to his family, and the solution to every problem was to call his extraordinary Mom, Peg. It was while Terry was growing up that he learned to view his own birthday on May 3rd as a national holiday, and he celebrated each birthday with unapologetic joy. Once—when Terry was hospitalized at St. Anthony in Rockford—he mentioned his birthday so often the nurses, the CNAs, and even a few doctors threw him a party in his room. The fact that this happened in July didn’t really matter.

Terry went to school at Lighted Way in La Salle, Illinois, where he established several life-long friendships, and he graduated in the late 1970s. Then, just as Terry’s siblings grew up and moved on with their lives, so did Terry, and that was when he became part of Horizon House. Terry adjusted to his new home quickly and with relative ease (it was more of a challenge for his Mom), and it became clear early on that Terry had a mind of his own, that he had no problem advocating for himself.

Forty plus years later, Terry’s life has become apocryphal at Horizon House. If Terry’s name is mentioned…there will be stories to tell. Terry loved bowling, Special Olympics, holidays, Cubs games, carnivals, parties, cheeseburgers and fries, movies, and the list goes on and on. Terry was eager to be part of whatever was going on, and Terry’s unbridled enjoyment invariably added to the enjoyment of everyone around him. Terry established meaningful friendships with many of his peers as well as the support staff who became such a valued part of his life. Plus, although Terry was never in any danger of over-exerting himself, he was always proud of the paycheck he earned when he attended the workshop at Horizon House.

Terry’s was a life well lived. His was a life filled with, love, joy, laughter, family, friends, and cheeseburgers. It would be a mistake to see Terry as a simple man with simple needs. The fact is, Terry showed us how it is done. Each of us has much to learn about life from Terry Lee Johnson.