Douglas Paul “Pug” Johnson, aged 61 of Dodgeville, passed away on Sunday, September 27, 2026 in his home of natural causes.
Doug was born on March 17, 1965 in Dodgeville, Wisconsin to Daniel and Joyce Johnson. He is survived by his parents, Daniel and Joyce (Nichols) Johnson, his son, Drew Johnson, his siblings Cheryl (Terry) Rule, Julie (Nick) Solberg, David (Chris) Johnson, and Karen Johnson, his ex-wife Tammi and her children Derek, Dustin, Jenni, and Stephani, and numerous nieces and nephews (and grand nephews). There was a very special place in his heart for his second family, the Bornes.
Pug graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1983. He had many odd jobs up until December 1988 when he received a kidney transplant. His mother, Joyce, donated her kidney which served him well for the next 38 years. Once Doug recovered from his transplant, he worked at Lands’ End for 30+ years before retiring at age 55.
Pug enjoyed many sports and especially excelled at golf and bowling. We’d be remiss not to spotlight his two holes in one (one on a Par 4) or bowling a 300 with a broken arm. Some of his best days were spent playing softball with his closest friends. You would often find Doug cheering on the Packers, Badgers (especially the Women’s Volleyball team), Brewers, and Bucks. Though, one of Doug’s latest requests to his son was to bring him home a Chicago Cubs baseball hat to “piss everyone off”. If he wasn’t watching sports with friends, Doug was cheering on Drew, Derek, Dustin, Jenni, and Stephani at their numerous events. Doug always supported and cheered on the many people in his life and was loved for it.
His pride and joy was his son, Drew. They had many wonderful memories at their home in Linden, Wisconsin. Wally (the town’s brown bear) shared their home and was a constant companion for many years. Doug took great pride in coaching (and giving plenty of opinions to) Drew in many sports, but he thought he knew baseball best. Drew will especially cherish the memories of family trips to the Wisconsin Dells and Doug’s insistence of yelling “WOO HOO!” down every single water slide.
A Celebration of Pug’s Life will be held from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at the RED ROOM, 108 E. Merrimac Street, Dodgeville.
The family would like to express their most heartfelt thank you to Doug’s many caregivers at Upland Hills Health, UW, Meriter, and St. Mary’s hospitals over the years. We will always remember and appreciate the wonderful care you all gave him.
Gorgen-McGinley & Ayers Funeral Home