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Boundary Waters Quetico ForumListening Point - General Discussion Kanoes has Passed
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04/29/2016 04:04PM
It is with my deepest regrets that I must announce that Jan Johnson (aka Kanoes) has passed away. He died at home last night in his sleep. He is survived by his wife Theresa, son Nate and daughter Erin.
Jan and I first met in 2008 when he invited me to his home when I needed to have my canoe repaired in the cities. He was very gracious to provide a place that weekend for me and my daughter to crash. From that moment on we were instant friends and ended up paddling and portaging many wonderful miles together. We did a trip every year together since 2009 until last Fall.
Man, I can't believe you are gone. I know you wanted to take a break from canoeing and chose to sell some of your gear, but I always held out hope you'd change your mind and we'd get one last trip together someday. Sadly, that can't happen now. :(
Cheers to my brother and friend to all the beers, sunsets, portages, and paddling miles we shared together. Perhaps, we will meet again someday on a trip where the wind will be at our backs and all the portages downhill. :)
Luv ya my brother. You were a wonderful friend.
Jan and I first met in 2008 when he invited me to his home when I needed to have my canoe repaired in the cities. He was very gracious to provide a place that weekend for me and my daughter to crash. From that moment on we were instant friends and ended up paddling and portaging many wonderful miles together. We did a trip every year together since 2009 until last Fall.
Man, I can't believe you are gone. I know you wanted to take a break from canoeing and chose to sell some of your gear, but I always held out hope you'd change your mind and we'd get one last trip together someday. Sadly, that can't happen now. :(
Cheers to my brother and friend to all the beers, sunsets, portages, and paddling miles we shared together. Perhaps, we will meet again someday on a trip where the wind will be at our backs and all the portages downhill. :)
Luv ya my brother. You were a wonderful friend.
04/29/2016 05:19PM
Kinda hard to know where to Begin and End....So I will just say:
Remember to tell those in your family you Love them, and the friends you have that you Love them...because you might not get another chance. Jan, was a friend. He was a Great Husband full of Love for His wife and kid's. He talked about them a lot on the journey's.
I feel blessed to have been not only know him, but hangout with him.
Their are a zillion great laughs to remember, and some trying times on the trail, but at the end of the day, HE was ALWAYS there for anyone who needed a lending hand. That in itself, tells you just what kind of Man He was. RIP my Friend!
SunCatcher
Remember to tell those in your family you Love them, and the friends you have that you Love them...because you might not get another chance. Jan, was a friend. He was a Great Husband full of Love for His wife and kid's. He talked about them a lot on the journey's.
I feel blessed to have been not only know him, but hangout with him.
Their are a zillion great laughs to remember, and some trying times on the trail, but at the end of the day, HE was ALWAYS there for anyone who needed a lending hand. That in itself, tells you just what kind of Man He was. RIP my Friend!
SunCatcher
04/29/2016 06:19PM
04/29/2016 07:19PM
I have been in shock and disbelief since hearing this, but the reality is setting in as my eye well with tears. I feel bad as I just searched my email account and Jan emailed me a few times in the past few days about things on the site I should look at and the emails were filtered to spam and I didn't have a chance to thank him, nor to realize he was selling off much of his gear.
Jan had amazing energy and was not only a fixture at wingnights, but his welcoming, open, loving, and enthusiastic spirit helped bridged our community from the virtual to the real. He cared deeply and passionately about this group and site.
I can't remember exactly the first time I met Jan and that is because from the first time you met Jan to the last time, he greeted you with open arms and boisterous yells.
For those that don't know, Jan would buy and get paddles signed at wingnight in memory of other members who passed or had life struggles. I morn that there will be a signing of a paddle for Jan but no one is it more fitting for.
I think I posted RIP on facebook for Jan, but Jan and rest and peace isn't something I can accept. He is already up in heaven pulling together a wingnight with all the great members who have passed and pulling new people into the fold.
My heart felt sympathy for his family who will miss him the most.
Jan had amazing energy and was not only a fixture at wingnights, but his welcoming, open, loving, and enthusiastic spirit helped bridged our community from the virtual to the real. He cared deeply and passionately about this group and site.
I can't remember exactly the first time I met Jan and that is because from the first time you met Jan to the last time, he greeted you with open arms and boisterous yells.
For those that don't know, Jan would buy and get paddles signed at wingnight in memory of other members who passed or had life struggles. I morn that there will be a signing of a paddle for Jan but no one is it more fitting for.
I think I posted RIP on facebook for Jan, but Jan and rest and peace isn't something I can accept. He is already up in heaven pulling together a wingnight with all the great members who have passed and pulling new people into the fold.
My heart felt sympathy for his family who will miss him the most.
04/29/2016 07:46PM
I am totally blown away by this. I don't even know what to say and am in disbelief. I never went on a canoe trip with Jan, but spent untold hours in the chatroom with him over the years. I always stopped at his place when I was passing through on my way home with a nice canoe find. We'd take it off my truck and examine it....brag about the good deal and drink Jan's beer. He was a very good host. I always use to think it was weird to have internet friends, but in many cases that's how we connect with kindred spirits and form non-internet relationships. He was much different in person than what most would gather on this site. I gotta say he was my friend. A couple pics of me sitting in canoes I've bought and posed for Jan in Jan's yard. Plus a great wingnight photo of him after he pushed oldscout's van out of the mud at a wingnight.
04/30/2016 07:19AM
I thought about Jan all day after I heard the sad news of his passing yesterday. When I woke this morning… I’m still in disbelief!
When I told my girls, who met him years ago, they were heart broke and said “No, not Joanne!” When they were little they called him Joanne and he loved it!
Think of the impact he had on all of us! Maybe it was in chat, on trips, camping with him at Wingnights or just reading his posts here. He will be greatly missed!!!
I can’t imagine what his family is going through.
They had him a lifetime!
We had him a fraction of that time!
Thoughts, prayers, and my deepest sympathy goes out to his family!
Note name tag. : )
When I told my girls, who met him years ago, they were heart broke and said “No, not Joanne!” When they were little they called him Joanne and he loved it!
Think of the impact he had on all of us! Maybe it was in chat, on trips, camping with him at Wingnights or just reading his posts here. He will be greatly missed!!!
I can’t imagine what his family is going through.
They had him a lifetime!
We had him a fraction of that time!
Thoughts, prayers, and my deepest sympathy goes out to his family!
Note name tag. : )
04/30/2016 11:21AM
This is a sad day for sure, Trix just let me know about Jan. He was opinionated, he was stubborn, he was obnoxious at times but most of all he was my friend. He will be miss and the world is a bit darker without his soul to help light it up.
You will be missed my friend.
And in closing I would like to quote Kanoe's most famous words or should I say word ............!!! CAR !!! those who know , know what I'm talkin about.
JB
You will be missed my friend.
And in closing I would like to quote Kanoe's most famous words or should I say word ............!!! CAR !!! those who know , know what I'm talkin about.
JB
04/30/2016 02:08PM
I met Jan at the first ever wing night and numerous other events. What I remember the most was his laugh and associating peoples real names not just their screen name. The type of person that would push your vehicle out of the mud which gave everyone a great laugh. You will be missed. 
05/01/2016 04:52PM
This makes me very sad. I really liked him. He was a great outdoorsman, craftsman, and he liked to help people.
I enjoyed his posts especially the back and forth with people who had contrary opinions.
He really had a big heart when it came to people and animals.
I always thought one day he would surprise us and use a few capital letters in his posts.
I really miss him.
05/02/2016 09:41AM
quote Zulu: "
I really miss him."
Nice Pic Pat. Its a little depressing reading the names on the paddle..... more than a few of those fine folks have already left us and now Jan man too.
This news has put me in a funk all weekend, Jan was ALWAYS the first to yell your name when arriving to a get-together, and you could always count on a hug immediately following his boisterous notification of arrival.
05/05/2016 03:45PM
Jan posted this about Bill (Kevlar) days before he passed himself.
quote kanoes: "we all lost a vast vault of knowledge when he left us, and lost a great guy period. I was fortunate enough to have met him."
Many of us feel the same about losing Jan!
Mini Wingnight going on with these two in waters we have yet to paddle!
Missing both of you!
quote kanoes: "we all lost a vast vault of knowledge when he left us, and lost a great guy period. I was fortunate enough to have met him."
Many of us feel the same about losing Jan!
Mini Wingnight going on with these two in waters we have yet to paddle!
Missing both of you!
05/06/2016 06:29AM
quote Kendra: "Jan posted this about Bill (Kevlar) days before he passed himself.
quote kanoes: "we all lost a vast vault of knowledge when he left us, and lost a great guy period. I was fortunate enough to have met him."
Many of us feel the same about losing Jan!
Mini Wingnight going on with these two in waters we have yet to paddle!
Missing both of you! "
Very true Kendra. Thank you.
I'm heading to an area on my solo that both of them posted about quite a bit. Going to toast Kanoes and Kevlar.
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