Holly Johnson

Holly Maree Groesbeck Johnson, 46, died peacefully at 3:23 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. She left this world far too soon, leaving behind a life that overflowed with love, laughter, and warmth that touched everyone who knew her.

Holly was born on September 16, 1979, in Albany, New York, to Genevieve and John Peter Groesbeck, the third of seven children. At only six years old in 1985, the family moved to Taylorsville, Utah, where Holly attended Plymouth Elementary School, Eisenhower Junior High, and Taylorsville High School, graduating in 1997. She began college at Southern Utah University and graduated in 2004 from Utah State University, earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy with a minor in geology.

In her youth, Holly was skilled at playing the piano and loved many genres of music, but favored popular musical & movie soundtracks. She loved ballet and danced in Swan Lake at the Murray Ballet Center. She graduated from Taylorsville Seminary and received her Young Womanhood Award. She loved the outdoors -- attending Girls Camp and camping with her family at Payson Lake. She cherished family gatherings with her cousins at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and together they upheld a beloved holiday tradition, sharing their talents in piano, dance, and song for residents in local rest homes.
Holly was the beloved wife of Chad A Johnson. They were married in Utah in October 2007. They lived in Cape Coral, Florida from 2010 to 2013, and have lived in Montgomery, Alabama since 2013. Together, they built a home full of love, laughter, and the joyful chaos of raising their three amazing children: Bella (17), Chase (13), and Noah (11). They were her world, and she was theirs.

She was exceptionally passionate about video games, including World of Warcraft, Diablo, CastleVania, and Final Fantasy and studious in intellectual hobbies, including becoming fluent in Morse code and Latin. She had a beautiful heart and a curious, searching mind, reading about the mysteries and unknown facets of life, discovering grace and meaning in the natural world in all its diversity.

She was fascinated with the history of the Earth, the epochs of the dinosaurs, human history, the evolution of culture, science, technology, engineering, astronomy and space travel. Humanity's prospect of space exploration deeply energized and inspired her, and her excitement for the idea of journeying to other worlds resulted in Mars being one of her most profound lifelong interests. She loved fantasy, science fiction, and anime, including titles such as Dune, Ender's Game, and Dragon Ball Z. She was extraordinarily passionate about spirituality and occult philosophy, most notably tarot, crystals, astrology, and various cultural mythologies and practices, especially deriving from the ancient Norse, Indian, and Egyptian societies. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge, education, and logic led her to eagerly take on the responsibility of homeschooling her children, and her ever curious mind was consistently nurtured through her self-study.

Her home was always full of music, laughter, candles, and light, and she was accepting, engaging, and hospitable to all. She found deep meaning in spiritual tradition and believed that love and energy do not die but only undergo transformation. She had a rare gift for making others feel comfortable, welcome, and understood. And she was that friend who could talk with you into the night, who listened when you needed it most, and who could find humor and silver linings amidst setbacks. She will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night.

Those who knew Holly will remember her as kind, wise, funny, and spiritual. Though the veil has fallen, her grace still moves among us -- unseen, yet deeply felt, like a whisper of heaven touching the earth.

She is survived by her husband Chad Johnson, daughter Bella, and sons Chase and Noah, her mother Genevieve Potter Groesbeck, and siblings Matt, Kathryn (Patrick Clark), Amy (Brian Jones), Michael, and Kristi (Ben Montrose). She is preceded in death by her sister, Marci Anne Groesbeck, and her father John Peter Groesbeck.

We are grateful that her pain has finally ended after her long and courageous battle with stage 4 cancer. We will cherish her life and her memory forever. A celebration of life will be held to honor her the way she lived: with love, light, and a dash of magic.

Graveside services at Salt Lake City Cemetery are by invitation only. Those wishing to support the family during this difficult time may do so by contributing to Venmo @Holly-Johnson-Funeral.