Kim Hallock Johnson passed away the night of Nov. 20, 2023, at the age of 71. Kim grew up in a military family, born March 27, 1952, in Heidelberg, Germany, to American Army member Elliott Johnson and mother Ellen Schwaninger. Shortly thereafter, Kim’s family moved to the United States, where they eventually welcomed his sister, Karen Gordy. After graduating from military school, Kim embraced his newfound freedom and began traveling, eventually landing in Quito, Ecuador, where he worked with local youth. There, Kim fell in love with a Peace Corp volunteer and welcomed his first daughter, Kriya Kaping.
After traveling broadly in Latin America, his path eventually led him back to the U.S. to study under Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. — an education that would inform the rest of his life.
Kim moved north to Pagosa Springs in 1988, where he put his deep baritone voice to use as a DJ on KWUF and welcomed his second daughter, Shanti Devins. Kim’s true passion remained Ayurvedic medicine and healing, and he worked to build a 30-year career as a massage therapist and health consultant in Pagosa. During his time as a massage therapist, he gave himself a nickname that would stick, “Mr. Kim,” to ensure his clients knew they would be walking into a room with a 6-foot-2-inch commanding figure of a man. He continued to study massage, meditation and holistic healing long into retirement.
Kim is survived by his sister, Karen, and two daughters, Kriya and Shanti. His family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the staff at Pine Ridge Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center for caring for Kim with dignity and respect, and for ensuring his final days were as comfortable as possible.
The family plans to spread Kim’s ashes in the wild places he loved this summer, and in lieu of a formal memorial (since Kim would always choose a solo adventure over mingling with a crowd), they encourage you to honor him by doing some of the things Kim loved most: eating a sun-ripened mango, taking the backroads home, fishing down Trujillo Road, reading a spiritual text, catching an afternoon game, and sunbathing (preferably naked) in the woods.
