Donald Glenn Johnson

Donald Glenn Johnson, Don to his friends, was born in February, 1935, in Evansville, Indiana to James and Hazel Johnson. He was the third of five children, the second of whom had arrived just minutes before—his twin brother, Ronald. Apparently James and Hazel had a sense of humor.

The son of a riverboat pilot and a pageant queen, he possessed extraordinary direction sense and navigation skills, and was also a sharp dresser, a wee bit vain, and he took pride in his appearance. Ironically, he was virtually incapable of having a meal without getting a bit on his trousers.

He was resourceful and hard working from a young age; by the time he was seven he was helping to support his family by selling peanuts and popcorn at minor league ball games and professional wrestling matches.

After a brief stint in the Army, he moved to Crown Point, Indiana to work in the steel mills. There he met Beverly through a mutual friend. They married in 1957, and shortly thereafter Don rejoined the Army, where he would proudly serve for 27 years, achieving the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, the highest rank for a warrant officer at the time.

Don and Bev had three children—Laurie, Christopher, and Cameron. They took advantage of every opportunity Don’s military postings afforded them, taking their children to enjoy beaches in Key West, visiting amazing castles in Germany, and exploring the natural wonders of the American Southwest. They instilled in their children a love of travel and adventure, and a deep appreciation of history and other cultures.

After retiring from the Army, Don took his Air Defense experience to Raytheon Technologies, where he was one of the first instructors in the Patriot missile defense system for the U.S. Army. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Park College in 1981. With their children grown, Don and Bev accepted two postings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Living on the Red Sea, they would sail and watch dolphins playing in the sea as they enjoyed their morning coffee. Don would scuba dive, Bev would snorkel, and once they helped hundreds of newly hatched baby sea turtles reach the ocean. Don retired in 2001, and the couple moved to Missouri City, Texas to be close to their children and grandchildren.

Don was creative and inventive. He possessed a remarkable aptitude for all things mechanical and electrical. He could fix anything, and if the tool or solution he needed did not exist, he would make it. He prided himself on keeping things running long after most would have discarded them. He created air-powered potato launchers and Sterno-fueled miniature hot air balloons, and never saw a gadget he didn’t want, or at least want to take apart. He was an avid sailor who built his own sailboat.

He loved games, the lottery, desserts, terrible puns, and groan-inducing dad jokes.

In 2011 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He refused to accept the limitations that came with the diagnosis, sometimes to his own detriment and the consternation of his family. He discovered a love and talent for watercolor painting and model building. He volunteered with Disabled American Veterans and American Legion Post 294, where he reinvigorated the Post’s Honor Guard.

He joined the Rock Steady boxing program for people with Parkinson’s in 2022. There he found camaraderie, worked out like a beast three times a week, and as the oldest person in the program by nearly 20 years, he served as an inspiration to his fellow boxers.

With his wife of 66 years at his side and his children nearby, he passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 13, nearly 14 years to the day after his twin brother. In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by five grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and his youngest sister, Judy.

His ashes will be interred at the Houston National Cemetery on December 27 in a small ceremony for the family, with his Honor Guard friends sending him off with full military honors. A celebration of his life will be scheduled for early 2024.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Rock Steady Boxing (rocksteadyboxing.org), the Houston Area Parkinson’s Society (haps.org), or the Parkinson Voice Project (parkinsonvoiceproject.org).