Donald Ray Johnson

Donald Ray Johnson, 80, passed away June 1, 2019 in his home, supported by the care of his family and friends. Don was a wonderful husband and father with a generous spirit and a gift for spinning stories about his people, flying, and himself. Once you met Don, you were adopted and became a member of his extensive family. An Air Force veteran and a United Air Lines pilot and ALPA union member for 34 years, his coworkers affectionately called him "Captain Dark Cloud" for his self-deprecating and somewhat dark sense of humor. Don was born on October 9, 1938, in Altoona, Pennsylvania to John Paul Johnson and Helen Penick Johnson. The oldest child in his family and the oldest cousin in his generation, he left Juniata College in 1958 to join the Air Force. He married Merial ("Kelly") Bailey in 1964, left the Air Force and joined United Air Lines. Over the years, the family lived in Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio. Most summers were spent at relatives' places in Hesston, PA, with vacations to visit extended family in Jensen Beach FL and Cambridge ID. In addition to the family and friends that meant the world to him, Don's many loves included dogs of any kind, clocks, Guinness on tap (not bottled or canned, ever!), his 1963 Chevy Impala, making up his own lyrics to songs, and talking back to the television. His beautiful blue eyes and the mischievous smile that lit up his face when he was laughing with or at you will be sorely missed by us all. Don is preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, and his beloved sister Jeanie. He is survived by his children Debbie Bouwens (Jack) of Lehigh Acres, FL, Donna Hulka (Bill) of Commerce Twp, MI, Cindy Miller (Matt) of Columbus OH, and Paul Johnson of Jensen Beach, FL; and his grandchildren Sebastian, Hope, Erika, and Tabitha Miller, and Tyler, Michael, and Samantha Hulka. Per Don's expressed wishes there is no memorial service planned. He always said "Don't mourn my passing. Life is hard, get on with yours and don't waste your energy grieving over me. I did everything I wanted to do in my life." Don was generous to a fault. If you insist on doing something to honor him, please make a donation to the charity of your choice, or find someone in need and lend them a kind hand. "Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hovering there I've chased the shouting wind along and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air. "Up, up the long delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, where never lark, or even eagle, flew; and, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand and touched the face of God."