Generous Fresno businessman who often helped and donated to nonprofit organizations dies

Richard Johanson, a successful Fresno businessman and World War II veteran who was passionate about helping others through public service, died from natural causes Wednesday. He was 96 years old.

Johanson was the founder of Johanson Transportation Services, a Fresno-based shipping and trucking company that grew into a multi-million dollar, national company.

But as Johanson saw it, his success in business was merely part of his grander life goal of inspiring others to help those less fortunate — as this central Valley native often did.

Johanson donated to several nonprofit organizations through the years, and worked on numerous councils, committees and governing boards, including as a trustee with the Fresno Unified School District in the early 2000s.

“Sharing opportunities to return a portion of one’s time and resources with the under-educated, those in poor health, the unemployed, or the incarcerated became an unwritten but acceptable mandate in our own lives and that of our families,” Johanson wrote in a 2016 commentary that was published by The Fresno Bee.

Inspiring others to donate

Johanson’s way of giving back to the community wasn’t just through money or time, but also by trying to motivate others, whether rich or poor, to take an active role in helping grow Fresno together.

“Leadership is becoming a form of partnership where everyone must take ownership for their part because each of us is a vital part of the undertaking,” Johanson wrote in his commentary, which coincided with him turning 90 years old in 2016.

“As the years of my life have passed by, I have discovered that those who dream, understand that solving community problems is a very complex process requiring one to learn, reflect and listen to a broad range of people from many disciplines,” Johanson wrote. “These community stakeholders must agree that the composition of change-agent assemblies needs to include private, public and nonprofit entities who each commit to work in a spirit of harmonious cooperation.”

Because of his success in business and devotion to public service, Johanson often was asked to join various committees and advisory boards in Fresno.

Among the organizations that Johanson served on the governing board included the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, Fresno Unified School District, Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Fresno.

In 2017, Fresno State honored Johanson with the inaugural Ethical Leadership Award.

“He has been an important mentor for a number of community leaders,” Andrew Fiala, chair of the Department of Philosophy at Fresno State, said about Johanson in a 2017 issue of the Fresno State magazine. “He is a man with a strong moral compass, a sense of humility and a concern for the greater good.”

Larry Johanson, the son of the passionate philanthropist, said his father was inspired to help Fresno as much as he could “because Fresno is home — always has been where he’s been entrenched and where his family lived.”

Time in the Marines, WWII

Larry Johanson also said he believes that many of his father’s hopes and dreams for a better community, and how he conducted himself were shaped during his four years in the Marines and being sent to China during World War II.

It was in the military that the elder Johanson discovered the importance of integrity, honesty, respect and gratitude, as well as the joy of camaraderie and the duties of “doing the right thing.”

Johanson applied those values to his life upon returning from the war, and later when he started his trucking business in 1971.

“He ingrained those values in me, and he ingrained it into the company because that’s how he wanted to live his life and run his business,” Larry Johanson said. “There couldn’t be a conflict between the two — the person that you are and how you conduct yourself in business.”

During an Honor Flight trip that took several military veterans from Fresno to Washington, D.C., a few years ago, Larry Johanson recalled his father getting excited and emotional about reliving his time in the service and what it was like during World War II.

“That trip really drove home for me the level of sacrifice that my dad made during World War II,” Larry Johanson said. “And with him being surrounded by other veterans and seeing how much it meant to everyone, a lot of memories were coming back for my dad and a lot of tears were flowing.”

Johanson is survived by son Larry and daughter-in-law Patti, daughter Gail Gomes and son-in-law Jason, grandchildren Yvonee Scott and Jody Gomes, and four great grandchildren.

Johanson was married for 60 years to wife Althea Ruth Johanson, who passed away in 2010.

“My dad was a Christian man and his faith was very, very important to him,” Larry Johanson said. “Prior to his passing, we had talked about our faith and where he would be in heaven.

“We know where he is and we know he’s reunited with my mom. We take comfort in that.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.