John Mortimer Humphrey

Obituary for John Mortimer Humphrey
July 10, 1996 - August 15, 2026 

John Mortimer Humphrey (Johnny), age 30, of Fresno, California passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2026 and returned home to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Johnny was born on July 10, 1996 in Prince Frederick, Maryland. He was the second child and oldest son of his loving parents, John Thomas Humphrey and Gwenn Marie Humphrey (Kitchen). 

When he was two-years old, his parents made a cross-country move to Fresno, CA in August 1998. Johnny attended Mountain View Elementary, Granite Ridge Intermediate, and Clovis North High School, graduating in 2014. 

While in high school, Johnny worked as a part of the stage crew and set design for school plays. He was a member of the school choir and enjoyed ceramics. As a member of CART-Center for Research and Technology, Johnny participated in robotics. He was also a member of The Boy Scouts-Troop 86, where he earned his Eagle Scout Award. 

From the time he was a child, Johnny dreamed of and planned to serve a mission for his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After high school Johnny worked as an Instructional Assistant for the Clovis Unified School District serving special education students. These nine months as an Instructional Assistant allowed him to earn money to support his mission. 

Johnny was assigned to the Kansas Wichita Mission from May 2015-May 2017. Johnny’s kind heart and unwavering love and enthusiasm for the Gospel of Jesus Christ helped him influence the lives of the people he served. He often spoke of how the people of Kansas made a positive impact on his life. 

Upon returning home from his mission, Johnny attended Brigham Young University-Idaho in January 2018, where he enjoyed performing with the Humor Code sketch comedy group. He assisted with costume and set design as well as skit writing. He enjoyed performing with the choir at General Conference. Johnny also enjoyed ballroom dance and was part of the Student Support team for incoming Freshmen during his second semester. 

Johnny worked in a variety of jobs that included transportation security officer at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. HIs favorite job was serving customers at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant. He would often boost the morale of his coworkers. They knew that he kept a bag of first aid supplies, electrolytes, hair ties, and pain relievers for anyone in need. After two years, Johnny became the local marketing manager in Fresno. In June 2023, Johnny was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). During that summer, he was transferred from Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno to UC San Francisco for a brief period for intensive treatment. By the end of August, Johnny was transferred to The City of Hope in Duarte, California, near Los Angeles. Johnny received a stem cell transplant from his oldest sister, Holly Mickelsen, and was able to go into remission for over a year. During his remission, Johnny was able to visit family again and participate in activities he missed. He loved playing games with friends and wearing costumes to special events, such as Halloween, the Renaissance Fair, and movie-themed events. 

When the cancer returned, Johnny fought bravely for over a year. When the cancer became terminal, he faced that bravely too. Johnny maintained his quirky sense of humor, positive attitude, and laughter through it all. He shared kindness, joy, and optimism with the nurses, doctors, and other patients. In July 2026, when The City of Hope sent Johnny home for hospice care, Johnny continued to focus on bearing his testimony of Jesus Christ to family and friends. He was released from his mortal cares on his mother’s birthday of August 15th. 

Johnny is survived by his parents, John & Gwenn Humphrey; his siblings, Holly (Richie) Mickelsen, Daniel (Ashley) Humphrey, Kimberly Humphrey, and Jacob Humphrey; two nephews, Lisi and James Mickelsen; and one niece, Joan Humphrey. He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Johnny will be truly missed and remembered as a beloved son, brother, uncle, and dear friend.