Who was Dwight Johnson? Bend Soap Company Founder Dies in Tree Trimming Accident

Dwight died in a tree trimming accident, wife Marilee Johnson said in a tribute post shared January 6th, 2025.

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On January 4, Johnson and three sons were working on a project when he spotted a branch in the way. In an attempt to pull the branch out of the way, it broke loose and hit him in the head.

Johnson fell to the ground following the head blow. He died at the scene.

Dwight Johnson was the founder of the Bend Soap Company, founded in 2011 to produce natural, organic soap and lotion from goat milk. Johnson’s product aimed to replace the increasingly problematic chemical-filled soaps on the market with a more natural alternative. He got the idea for the business following his son developing eczema.

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Johnson’s Bend Soap Company grew exponentially. He also operated Dwight’s Window Washing alongside some of his kids and other fmaily members. Before starting his own company, he fell in love with natural, organic products as an independent distributor for GNLD (Neolife) Nutrition.

In his youth, Dwight helped manage his family’s 3rd generation glass-decorating company near Los Angeles. He was also a pine furnitre and weathervanes salesman before relocating to Central Oregon. Johnson married Marilee and they have ten children, according to his bio. Kids include Burnell, Orin, Chance, Ty, Quint, Wyatt, Vienna, Royal, Holly, and Victoria. The family resides on a 40-acre farm in Central Oregon where they raise goats and other farm animals.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the sudden and tragic loss of Dwight Johnson, the founder of Bend Soap Company, on Saturday,” the Bend Soap Company said in a statement. “Dwight was not only the visionary behind Bend Soap but also an incredible husband, father, and friend to so many. His faith, kindness, and unwavering dedication to helping others were evident in everything he did, including the business he, his wife and his children built to serve families like yours,”