James F. Johnson

1927-2014

James F. Johnson, known to family and friends as “Pete”, was the sixth of seven children born to Lora Lee and Ella Elizabeth Johnson on March 26, 1927 in Idalou, Texas. He spent the first 18 years of his life living on the family farm at Wolforth, just outside Lubbock, Texas. Upon graduation from high school, he served two tours with the Merchant Marines, one to Europe and one to the South Pacific, before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in September of 1946. He served most of his 3 year enlistment at Fort Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska, an experience that made a lasting and positive impact on the remainder of his life.

He was married on October 5, 1952 to Barbara Spradling in Lovington, New Mexico. He is survived by his wife and one son, Gary Stratton Johnson, his wife Natalie, and grandchildren Laura Elizabeth Johnson and Christopher Jeffrey Johnson. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Gregory Taylor Johnson, and 20 year old son, Jeffrey Shelby Johnson. He is also survived by two sisters, Lillian Peck of Spokane, Washington and Frances Brown of Amarillo, Texas.

He worked for Shell Oil Company for 37 years as a piping and mechanical design draftsman, a career that began in Hobbs, New Mexico and then took him variously to Roswell and Gallup in New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; Midland and Houston in Texas; and finally to Bakersfield, California where he retired in 1991. Following retirement, he returned to his native Texas, to Dripping Springs just out of Austin, where for 15 years his love of the outdoors led him to pursue his passion for gardening and cultivating his own little piece of Texas Hill Country.

In 2008, he downsized to a smaller place just 12 miles down the road in Wimberley, Texas, which allowed him to continue his enjoyment of the land, but on a smaller scale, until failing health dictated his move to a retirement community in Houston, Texas in 2010.

He was freed from his struggle with Alzheimer’s on October 15, 2014. His family is grateful to the staff of The Abbey at Westminster for their compassionate assistance to him while in their care, and to Excel Hospice for their kind help and support in recent weeks.

Respecting his wishes to be cremated and his ashes scattered over the Rocky Mountains that he loved, his family will say goodbye to him privately. There will be a small memorial gathering for friends and family at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway at Eldridge, on Tuesday, October 21st between the hours of 6:00 and 8:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (http://www.alz.org).

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

~J. Muir