Johnny Johnson

Johnny Johnson was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. Johnny was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, Johnny was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Johnny was born to Charles (Lester) and Louise Johnson in Puryear, Tennessee, being raised in Kentucky and Tennessee. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Johnson household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Johnny was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Johnny was raised with two sisters and three brothers, Becky and Lynn, Ronnie, Lenny and Art. Johnny was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. He and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up, but Johnny was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Johnny was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Johnny developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Johnny took part in basketball and baseball. In his spare time he liked to play on his farm. Johnny's memorable achievements included becoming a pretty good basketball player. However, what Johnny enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Johnny as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Hazel High School in 1958. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Johnny graduated with great marks. Johnny was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Johnny always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Johnny served his country in the United States Army. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Johnny seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country

Always considered to be a solid friend, Johnny was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Johnny was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Johnny to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. Throughout his entire life his best friends were his brothers and sisters.

On October 7, 2000 Johnny exchanged wedding vows with Sandra Lindholm at their home in Chesterfield, Missouri. Compassionate and devoted to Sandy, Johnny held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Sandy and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Johnny brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Johnny was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Johnny and Sandra had a blended family of 8.

Johnny greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Johnny enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Johnny was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was as a Production Manager in the Automotive Industry. He was employed for 30 plus years by General Motors. Johnny worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Johnny enjoyed cooking, landscape design and playing cards. Johnny was content to enjoy his hobbies alone, but was also willing to share his interests with others. Johnny found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Johnny played Basketball. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were watching basketball and football.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Johnny was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Johnny preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Johnny was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Johnny's moto was "Let the Best Man Win".

Johnny was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a Christian. Johnny loved the bible scripture Psalms 118. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Johnny sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Johnny many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards included a Las Vegas Landscape award for their home and two awards for manufacturer in the automotive industry.

Johnny enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Johnny appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Johnny always had a back- up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included traveling to California especially the Pacific Coast Highway to Carmel.

When Johnny’s retirement finally arrived in 1994, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to St Louis, Missouri. In retirement, he found new pleasure in running different businesses. Johnny explored owning tanning salons, rentals and laundry businesses. In 2005 Johnny moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Even in retirement, Johnny continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Johnny Johnson. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

Johnny Johnson passed away on April 26, 2019 at Las Vegas, Nevada. He is survived by his wife Sandy, eight children, 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Services will be held at Palm Northwest Mortuary and Johnny will be laid to rest in Palm Northwest Cemetery.