A Galesburg man whose backyard basketball court became a summer haven for Galesburg’s hoop dreams and whose leadership built Galesburg Electric into a resilient hometown business has died.
Craig M. Johnson died June 25, 2025, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria from heart-related issues. He was 85.
For more than 50 years, Craig owned and ran Galesburg Electric at 739 S. Henderson St., pouring his heart and relentless drive into the business he loved.
“He always said he was going to die down at Galesburg Electric, and that was almost the case,” said his oldest son, Eric Johnson. “He worked up until the very end. His heart just gave out.”
Born Dec. 13, 1939, in Elgin, to Hilding and Lucile (Larson) Johnson, Craig graduated from Galesburg High School in 1957 and earned a bachelor’s degree from MacMurray College in 1961. He married Marcia L. Callahan on Jan. 3, 1965, in Galesburg, and together they raised five children: Eric, Preston, Kimberly, Christine, and Shannon.
Obituary: Craig M. Johnson—December 13, 1939 ~ June 25, 2025
Building a Basketball Haven
In 1974, Craig transformed his Dayton Drive backyard into a full-court basketball sanctuary, sparked by the size limitations of the nearby Covenant Church’s half-court.
“Everyone was playing at Covenant Church in the early 70s, but it was only a half court,” Eric recalled. “Dad saw that, knew he wanted to play, too, and decided to build a full court in our backyard.
“As soon as he did it, people were just coming over to play every night during the summer.”
At just 9 years old, Eric witnessed the court’s magnetic pull.
“I remember the backyard being full of kids every night,” Eric said. “I bet we had 25 to 30 kids waiting to play.”
The court, dubbed a “basketball court of dreams” by youngest son Preston, hosted fierce games across generations.
“Instead of a field of dreams, it was like a basketball court of dreams,” Preston said. “He built that court, and they came. The whole town came. It was ‘you got game? Bring it, and let’s see.’
“It was anywhere from age 15-55. It was clean, but hard-nosed basketball. You knew when you played on our court, you were going to sweat and play your ass off… If you didn’t play hard, you knew you were going to have your ass handed to you.”
The court’s competitive intensity shaped countless players —primarily, but not limited to Silver Streaks — from the 1970s through the 1990s.
“You didn’t want to lose, I’ll tell you that,” Eric said. “Those games were so competitive, man. They were intense. And I think playing on a smaller court just made you better. It made you get quicker, made you play stronger. There were some great players playing in that backyard.”
Shaping Generations of Players
Scott Kelley, a star player on Galesburg’s 1976 state runner-up team who went on to play major college basketball at Iowa and Evansville, credited Craig’s court for his development.
“Craig was influential in the development of multiple generations of Silver Streak basketball players,” Kelley said. “I was fortunate to play on Craig’s legendary backyard full court. There were some really good players… like Craig, Joe Swedlund, Ian Davies, Robbie Johnson, and Mike Campbell… Craig was nearly double our ages at the time. Trust me. He more than held his own!”
Kelley added, “We learned great basketball lessons… and how to compete in a positive and healthy way. These lessons were invaluable for me on the high school and college basketball court, and more importantly in life.”
Mark Makeever, a Johnson family neighbor and another Silver Streaks star—GHS Class of 1980—echoed Kelley’s sentiment.
“Craig Johnson’s love for the game was obvious in the joy he got opening up his home and yard to hoopsters,” Makeever said. “His lead-by-example lessons on the court live with me today.
“Whether it was his one-foot runner, the use of the backboard, the use of hand and ball fakes, and lastly his conditioning to run the court might have been my greatest memory.”
Makeever noted the court’s unique intensity.
“Since his passing, I have shared with fellow basketball players exactly how much our 4 on 4 games on that court helped my ability to make quick decisions,” he said. “It was almost like arena hoops.”
Eric recalled his father’s athletic prowess, saying, ‘Back in the day, Dad could run like a deer. He would just outrun you, and wear you down. It was hard to guard him, because he was constantly moving all the time.’”
Kelley remembered Craig’s stamina: “He scrimmaged with us for an hour plus, and then after he had worn us all out in the scrimmage, he would run wind sprints on his own.”
A Life of Passion and Community
Preston emphasized the parallels between Craig’s basketball and business skills.
“Very similar to what made him a good basketball player made him a successful businessman—it all comes down to fundamentals,” he said. “You gotta improvise, you gotta adapt, you have to overcome and work with what you’ve got.”
He added, “And it’s hard to talk about Craig alone, because he and Gilly (Don Gillenwater) have been here about the same amount of time. They were quite a 1-2 combo.”
Galesburg Electric, founded in 1950, thrived under Craig’s leadership for decades.
“Galesburg Electric was his passion—that was his baby,” Eric said. “He was outgoing and loved to talk to people. He had a lot of PR in him, and that’s what made him successful in business. And he was such a hard worker.”
Preston noted Craig’s enduring commitment, saying, “I think one of the reasons he lasted as long as he did was because he had Galesburg Electric, a place to get up and go to every day.
“A week before he died, he was at work, doing what he loved to be doing. He was still talking about a long-term plan—stuff he wanted to do two or three years from now.”
The court’s legacy resurfaced after Craig’s passing.
“It’s been so long, I had kind of put the backyard basketball in the back of my mind,” Preston said. “But since Dad has died, I’ve had all these guys calling, and sharing memories. Some guys who I haven’t talked to in 25 years. You could sense the emotion in their voices.”
Eric reflected on his father’s broader impact.
“He was a great father, a great provider for our family,” he said. “And he wanted his kids to be the best they could be, without putting too much pressure on us. He wanted us to love the game like he did, and I did.”
Craig was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church and an active community volunteer, serving with the Galesburg High School and Carl Sandburg College Booster Clubs and the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. His love for basketball and community left a lasting mark.
“I feel very fortunate to have grown up in Galesburg in the time I did,” Kelley said. “Craig was a strong positive influence on me and many others.”
Visitation for Craig Johnson will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 12, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Galesburg Chapel, with a closing prayer by Eric and Preston at noon.
