Obituaries

Donald R. Johnson, 91, of St. Charles passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 7 at AccentCare Inpatient Hospice Center in Naperville after a short illness.  Memorial service will be held Saturday, July 13 at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles.

Born March 3, 1933 in Sterling, Illinois to Claude and Bernice (McKenzie) Johnson, Don grew up in Tampico, Illinois.  He graduated from Tampico High School and Western Illinois University where he earned degrees in both Bachelor and Master of Science in Education.  After teaching Math and P.E. at Brimfield High School, where he met and married Elaine, he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served as a Military Policeman at Fort Lewis, Washington.  After the army, Don and Elaine moved to Little York, Illinois where he continued his teaching career at Little York High School.  He eventually became a guidance counselor serving in that role at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School in Bradley, Illinois and Wenona High School in Wenona, Illinois before becoming Director of Guidance at St. Charles High School in 1970 where he worked until he retired in 1991.  He enjoyed working with young people as he felt they kept him young.  He enjoyed his many college preparation activities helping students see the possibilities open to them.  Don especially enjoyed coaching high school sports at Brimfield, Little York and Bradley-Bourbonnais where he primarily coached sophomore boys’ basketball.  In his later years at St. Charles, he also coached one year of girls’ softball.  The last seven years of his guidance career he coached girls’ sophomore basketball and assisted on the varsity team.  

Don loved sports of all kinds, but especially the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs.  Don attended many Cubs games over the years both at his beloved Wrigley Field and in Arizona for Spring Training.

He was an active member of Baker Memorial United Methodist Church where he served on a variety of committees and as an usher for over forty years.  In retirement, Don helped the church with its Salvation Army bell ringing and delivering Meals on Wheels.  He and Elaine also worked for Roving Volunteers In Christ’s Service (RVICS) where they traveled on a number of mission trips with other senior RV’rs.

Don was united in marriage with M. Elaine Scanlan on June 3, 1956 in Newton, Illinois.  Don was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine, just three weeks prior to his passing.  He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sister Barbara (Dan) Rodgers, his brother Paul (Nora) Johnson, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law William and Kathy Scanlan, and two nephews Greg Scanlan and Jeff Johnson.  He is survived by his brother, Gary Johnson, his sisters-in-law Katherine (Rollo) Katterhenry and Nora Johnson, his brother-in-law Dan (Betty) Rodgers, his children Mark (Wendy) Johnson, Kent (Chris) Johnson, Brian (Barb) Johnson, and Beth Keen, ten grandchildren:  Shae Norwick, Jason Norwick, Sara (Jason) Schad, Nicole (Jacob) Downing, Collin Johnson, Brad (Becky) Johnson, Doug (Courtney) Johnson, Alex Johnson, Madison (Kurtis) Chione and Ryan Johnson, and many great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, The Salvation Army or the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

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