Kyle Jeffery Johnson, 43, of Rochester, NY passed away at his home on January 5, 2025.
Born in Dansville, NY on January 29, 1981, he was the son of Jeffery H. and the late Susan J. (Smith) Johnson.
Kyle graduated from Hornell High School in 1999, where he was a record-holding, three-sport athlete excelling in football, basketball, baseball, and a charismatic and gregarious leader on and off the field. He went on to pitch for SUNY Cortland, where he graduated in 2003 with a degree in business and marketing. While pitching for Cortland, the team participated in two Division 3 NCAA Baseball World Series and was the first ever collegiate baseball team to play in Russia. Kyle was inducted into the Hornell High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the SUNY Cortland Baseball Legends Club in 2019.
Following college, Kyle’s unmatched charm and charisma fostered a successful career in pharmaceutical salesspecializing in nephrology, representing and directing the Northeast region with several companies. Although his work often had him traveling, he resided in Rochester, NY for all his adult life. Kyle was an avid sports fan, religiously following the Buffalo Bills, New York Yankees, and LA Lakers. He enjoyed playing basketball and golf with his cherished family and friends. Ever the music enthusiast, Kyle was always up for a rap battle and/or a dance off. He is described by all who knew him as having a larger-than-life personality, someone who loved everyone and was loved by anyone that knew him. His kindness and compassion for all, sense of humor, magnetic personality, and generosity had no boundaries.
Kyle was preceded in death by his grandparents, William B. and Doris Johnson, Nancy (Smith) Duke and Dr. Richard Smith; mother, Susan J. (Smith) Johnson; aunt, Patricia (Smith) Eichler; uncle, Warren Abbey; cousin, Graham Andrus; brother-in-law, Timothy Manchester; and stepbrother, Jason Hale Freeman.
Kyle is survived by his loving family: father and stepmother, Jeffery and Carla Johnson; sister Keegan (Johnson) Manchester; brother Kurt G. Johnson; grandmother Arlene Dennis; stepsister Johanna Freeman; nieces Anna and Katherine Manchester & Sylvie and Nadia Kaplan; uncles William (Gail) Johnson, Greggery (Liz) Johnson, aunts Anne Smith-Abbey, Kathleen (Dan Crossman) Smith, Karen (Tom) Andrus and cousins Vanessa (Danny) Spitulnik, Jaime (Scott) Milanovich, Matt (Mandy) Johnson, Erica Johnson, Brandon Mambelli, and Jade Andrus, along with numerous second cousins and countless friends whom he considered family.
The Dagon Funeral Home will be supporting the family with a private service with Deacon Robert McCormick officiating.
Friends are encouraged to join the family for a Celebration of Kyle’s Life on Saturday, March 1st, 2025 beginning at 1:00 PM at The Main Place in Hornell, 251 Main St., NY. In the spirit of Kyle, an invitation is not necessary.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to an annual Kyle Johnson Memorial Scholarship through the Hornell High School Alumni Association (℅ Keegan Manchester, 61 Sawyer Way, Leominster MA 01453). Additionally, contributions may be made in Kyle’s memory to the Hornell Area Family YMCA (18 Center Street, Hornell NY 14843) where he fostered his love of sports and community as a child.
To leave an online condolence or share a memory, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com
