Laid to rest: Fire service honors county chief with procession
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Pleasant VFD placed this memorial to Chief Tim Johnson, who died earlier this week, outside of the fire station.
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Pleasant VFD Chief Tim Johnson, who passed away earlier this week, was escorted from to a funeral held Saturday morning in a procession by the fire service community.
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Starbrick VFD and City of Warren Fire Department stationed ladder trucks at the city fire station to display a flag as part of the procession for Pleasant VFD Chief Tim Johnson.
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Pleasant VFD placed this memorial to Chief Tim Johnson, who died earlier this week, outside of the fire station.
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Pleasant VFD Chief Tim Johnson, who passed away earlier this week, was escorted from to a funeral held Saturday morning in a procession by the fire service community.
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Starbrick VFD and City of Warren Fire Department stationed ladder trucks at the city fire station to display a flag as part of the procession for Pleasant VFD Chief Tim Johnson.
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A county fire chief was laid to rest Saturday.
Pleasant VFD Chief Timothy "TJ" Johnson suffered a heart attack shortly after responding to an EMS call last Monday evening.
"Upon returning to the station approximately an hour later, he complained of indigestion and an upset stomach," the US Fire Administration said. "Chief Johnson went home and less than 10 minutes later, 9-1-1 was called to his residence.
"He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he passed away on Tuesday morning, Oct. 17, 2023, from an apparent heart attack."
The county's Fire Service community escorted Johnson from the Donald E. Lewis Funeral Home to the Pleasant VFD Social Hall for services Saturday morning.
Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered state flags in Warren County on all Commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds to fly at half-staff in his honor.
"The Warren County Government’s staff and administration wishes to convey our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Chief Timothy "TJ" M. Johnson and would ask they be kept in the community’s thoughts and prayers," the county said in a Facebook post.
Johnson, 56, was born in Warren and a 1985 graduate of Warren Area High School, according to an obituary published in the Times Observer. He received a degree in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and was then employed by Whirley Industries, most recently as the company's IT director.
He was a member of the Pleasant VFD for 37 years and an EMT for over 35 years.
He's survived by his wife, Kathy, two children, Michael and Emily and one grandson, Liam.