KEVIN B. KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Biochemistry junior Tally Milnes writes a message yesterday evening in the courtyard of Graham-Greenlee Residence Hall during a barbecue to remember former students Joseph Johnson and Lindsay Schiffman, who were killed in a motorcycle accident April 18.

To celebrate and honor the life of Joseph Johnson, a resident assistant killed in a motorcycle accident two weeks ago, about 120 people attended a memorial service yesterday at Graham-Greenlee Residence Hall.

"Your impact on others is more than you ever imagined," read one of several messages written on the courtyard ground in chalk. The wall read, "In Loving Memory of Joe."

The memorial service included a barbecue and canned food drive. The food will be given to the Salvation Army, as requested by Johnson's parents.

Johnson was killed in a motorcycle accident on April 18 with his passenger, Lindsay Schiffman, who was a media arts senior.

"I was a friend of Joe's," said Aaron Ronn, a psychology and political science major and RA who worked with Johnson. "He was like my older brother and helped me with a lot of stuff. He never had a moment without laughs. He always had something funny to say."

Friends said Johnson also belonged to an off-road club for which he helped organize events.

Joseph Johnson

"We were all in the off-road club with him," said Ryan Miller, a mechanical engineer senior and friend of Johnson's.

Microbiology senior George Jones said, "He wanted to meet new people to go off-roading with."

Even some people who did not personally know Johnson showed up to pay their respects.

"I came because I'm a member of a resident community, and I wanted to support those who knew him," said Christine Toma, a higher education graduate student who works as an RA in Coconino Residence Hall.

"He was in an RA class I taught," said Greg Ziebell, an assistant director for Residence Life, who taught Johnson two years ago.

Johnson's Polaroid photograph is still posted on the staff board in the Graham-Greenlee lobby.

Pages with photographs of Johnson formed a horseshoe around the lobby floor. Several people came in to sign the pages, which will be assembled in a scrapbook and given to Johnson's parents.

Michelle Ruppelt, a physiology and nutrition senior, said she had been dating Johnson.

"I met Joe in August at RA training," Ruppelt said. "It was kind of a secret, but yes we were dating. We kept it low-key."

Ruppelt attended Johnson's memorial service April 22 in the St. Bernadette Cathedral in Scottsdale, Johnson's hometown.

She said she maintains a good relationship with Johnson's parents. "They're really nice people," she said.

A candlelight vigil was planned, but canceled because of windy weather.