Donald Leroy "Don" Johnson

Donald Leroy "Don" Johnson, 80, former Altus resident of Edmond, Oklahoma, passed away at home on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Wednesday, June 5, 2019 in the Kincannon Memorial Chapel with Rev. Bruce Davis officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in the Altus City Cemetery under the direction of the Kincannon Funeral Home and Cremation Service.

He was born on February 20, 1939 to Walter Leroy and Lena Louise (Skip) Johnson in Altus, Oklahoma. He graduated from Altus High School in 1957. He joined the army after high school and served for 20 years, cumulating his career as the Command Sergeant Major, US Army Military Personnel Center in Heidelberg, Germany. In this position, he was the senior enlisted advisor to the Commanding General concerning personnel matters for more than 180,000 soldiers stationed in Europe.
While in the Army he earned a Bachelors (1971) and Masters degree (1973) from Eastern New Mexico University. He was the first enlisted soldier to attend graduate school as a full time student. While in college Don was a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. Following graduate school he was assigned to Fort Lee in Virginia From there he attend the US Army Sergeant Major Academy in El Paso, Texas. At the Academy he was selected for promotion to Sergeant Major. Don was the youngest enlisted soldier to be selected to that rank by a Department of Army promotion board. After graduation he was selected for the Command Sergeant Major program.
During his military career he was awarded numerous service medals including, two bronze stars while serving on a boat company in Vietnam in 1968-1969. Other awards included the Meritorious Service Medal, five awards of the Army Commendation Medal plus several other service medals. While in Vietnam, he was exposed to Agent Orange, which caused him numerous health issues causing him to be rated as a 100 percent disabled veteran.
Following his retirement from the Army in 1978, he began a civil service career at Altus AFB. He worked in several positions in finance and civilian personnel before being selected as the base public affairs officer in 1982. While in this position, Johnson and his staff earned 17 major awards from the Military Airlift Command and Air and Education Training Command. Johnson was selected as the command public affairs officer four times. Upon his retirement in 1994, he was awarded the Air Force Civilian Meritorious Service Medal.
Following his Civil Service career, he worked for the Southwest Technology Center for ten years as director of Public Relations until his health prevented him from continuing his work at the school.
In addition to his many community activities, he was an adjunct instructor in business at Western Oklahoma State College for over 20 years.
He is a former mayor of Altus from April 1995 to August 1996 and served on the city council for six years. He said many times, that he regretted his resignation as mayor of Altus and felt that he owed his supporters something. Don served on the city council for six years, it was his was of repaying the citizens of Altus for their support. He always said that he was not cut out to be a politician.
He was involved in numerous community programs. He served on the board of Altus Chamber of Commerce; a Charter Member of the Committee of 100; Chairman of Jackson County Economic Development Corporation, Trustee for Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group, member of Oklahoma Mayor’s Association, a member of Southwest Oklahoma Development Authority, a member of Advisory Group for NBC, member of Altus Military Affairs Committee, member of the Board for Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group. Former president and 20-year member of the Altus Rotary Club; was a Paul Harris Fellow and Rotary Benefactor. Served two terms on the board for the Jackson County United Way and Co-Chaired the 1994-1995 and 1999-2000 United Way Fund Drive. He was Chairman of the Communications Committee and served as a Trustee for the First United Methodist Church. He also served as a trustee for the Grace United Methodist Church. A member of the Board of Directors for the local chapter of the American Red Cross and served on the State of Oklahoma Red Cross Board. He was a member of the Oklahoma School Public Relations Association. A 32nd degree Mason. A member and president of the local chapter of the Air Force Association and served two years as the State President. A member of the Association of the US Army, a life member of the Veteran of Foreign Wars, a life member of the Disabled American Veterans; and a member of the American Legion.
In 1956, while a senior in high school, he married Linda Boatright, who was a junior at Altus High School. They traveled the world together for 29 years. They lived in France, Germany, Hawaii and at several Army posts across the United States. Linda died from cancer in 1985. They had three children, Gail, Donna and Donald Wayne. Donald Wayne died in 1961 shortly after birth and is buried next to his mother at the Altus City Cemetery.
In 1986, he married Diane Wilhite-Bennett from Hollis, Oklahoma. She had three children, Brent, Kristi and Kayla. He never liked the term “step-children” and never referred to them as such. Brent was gone from home when he and Diane married but helped to raise Kristi and Kayla as his own.
He always said that he has a very lucky man to have had two great loves in his life, Linda and Diane.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Linda, and son, Donald Wayne. He is survived by his wife, Diane, of the home; children, Gail Doubleday of Tuscon, AZ, Donna Cornelsen and husband, Randy of Weatherford, OK, Brent Bennett of Vernon, TX, Kristi Eidson and husband, Jeff, of Elkin, NC, and Kayla Bearden and husband, Rusty, of Edmond, OK; nine grandchildren, Jessica Parrish and husband, Andy, of Erwin, NC, Melanie Barrick and husband, Jason, of Hallieford, VA, Donald Doubleday and wife, Kathryn, of Tustin, CA, Katie and Kaden Cornelsen of Weatherford, OK, Nathaniel Bennett of Vernon, TX, and Gigi and Alexandra Kakouras of Elkin, NC; four great-grandchildren; plus his brother, Charley, and his wife, Mary, of Altus, OK.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 PM Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at the Kincannon Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Integris Cancer Center or Integris Hospice at www.integrisok.com , Grace United Methodist Church at www.altusgraceumc.com or to Quail Springs United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at www.qsumc.org

Family and friends unable to attend may log on to kincannonfuneralhome.com, 30 minutes prior to the service, to view the live webcast of the funeral.

Online tributes may be made at kincannonfuneralhome.com