ALOHA, Ore. -- Those who knew Ryan Johnson best had many stories to tell at his funeral inside the Life Church in Aloha.
"I remember whenever I bought candy I would have to hide it because it was like he could smell it, like a dog or something, " Ryan's brother Calvin Johnson remembered.
His mom laughed over his lack of dancing skills at her last birthday party.
"Salsa is very hard to do and Ryan kept stepping on toes," Amy Johnson said. "But he thought he was hot."
The 22-year-old was gunned down outside an Aloha grocery store January 28. Police say the gunman was 52-year-old Jeffrey Brian Johnson. While both men have the same last name, they were not related. Ryan was the former boyfriend of the suspect's daughter. Ryan's mom believes he was killed over a custody battle for his 3-year-old son.
His father, Tim Davis, said Ryan told him he loved him almost every day.
"It's been so very, very hard," said an emotional Davis. "We had planned on doing a lot of fishing this year because I was too busy with work last year."
Last week more than 500 people showed up for a vigil for Ryan at Aloha High School, where he played football, track and baseball. He was attending Portland Community College and wanted to become a firefighter.
At just 22, Ryan Lee Johnson was taken away too soon, but grieving family members say his laugh and his love of life will live on in those who were lucky enough to know him.
