‘Forever in Our Hearts’: Mount Clemens remembers Marcel Johnson after cancer battle

A Mount Clemens father, business owner and social media influencer who inspired millions by sharing his battle with Stage 4 cancer has died.

Marcel Johnson, a father of five and co-owner of Lil Daddys Cheesecakes, died Monday. He was 32.

Johnson and his wife, Taylor, shared his cancer journey publicly on social media following his diagnosis, giving millions of people a glimpse into his life as a husband, father and business owner navigating the disease.

Watch this story in the video player below: Forever in Our Hearts: Mount Clemens remembers Marcel Johnson after cancer battle

I feel like Im in a movie, or a really long dream, Johnson told 7 News Detroit shortly after his diagnosis in August 2025.

In the months that followed, Johnson continued documenting his battle, sharing deeply personal moments with his family and followers until the end.

Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp said she learned of Johnsons death the same way many others did.

I found out the way the rest of the world did, when Taylor put it on social media, Kropp said.

Now, the Mount Clemens community is rallying around Johnsons family.

The city plans to hang Forever in Our Hearts posters throughout downtown Mount Clemens, where Lil Daddys Cheesecakes is located.

The bakery has become a familiar downtown destination.

Everyone who comes here usually ends up at Lil Daddys, said Diane Kubik, owner of nearby Max & Ollies.

Kubiks store sits just feet from the bakery. She described Johnsons death as a devastating loss.

A father of five. What a tragic loss, Kubik said.

The impact Johnson had on people was visible outside the family's business following his death.

On Wednesday, 7 News Detroit encountered a woman kneeling and praying outside Lil Daddys Cheesecakes. The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she had never met Marcel or Taylor Johnson and had never visited the bakery. Still, she felt compelled to come to the store and pay her respects.

He thought about his family and what that looks like once hes gone and the impact it would have, and thats commendable, she said.

Support for Johnsons family began even before his death. A GoFundMe created to support the family has raised nearly $400,000.

Raw Juice, a Chesterfield business owned by a close friend of the Johnson family, also started a meal train to help make sure Taylor and the couples children are fed and cared for.

For Kropp, the business and the community surrounding it represent something that will continue beyond Johnsons death.

Its Lil Daddys Cheesecakes, but I believe its Taylor and Marcels legacy, Kropp said.

Lil Daddys Cheesecakes is currently closed. The business is expected to announce its reopening date on Facebook.

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