Donald Andrew Johnson, long-time Crescent City resident, passed away Friday, 31 May 2024, in Brookings, Oregon, after a prolonged illness.
Born 21 November 1928 to Theodore Gib and Birdie Elizabeth (Kingsley) Johnson in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Don was the oldest of four children. At the age of nine, the family moved to Oregon’s Rogue Valley, where he attended Willow Creek Grade School and Gold Hill High School, from which he graduated in 1948.
In 1950, Don enlisted in the US Navy, serving aboard USS Boxer and USS Yorktown. In 1954, he received an honorable discharge at Alameda Naval Air Station.
On 14 March 1954, Don married Loretta May Anderson, daughter of Manvel and Louise (Logan) Anderson, in Junction City, Oregon. Soon after, Don and Loretta moved to Crescent City, where Don owned and operated Don’s Chevron Service, south of town.
Don was active in many aspects of community life in Crescent City. He volunteered as a firefighter with the Crescent Fire Protection District for 25 years and served as president of the CFPD and Del Norte County Firemen’s Association. Don was very active in the Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce. He was the chair of the 4th of July and Crab Feed committee and served as the Chamber’s President, 1976-77. In 1971, the Crescent City Jaycees honored Don with the Man of the Year award.
He was an avid bowler and looked forward to the weekly league gatherings. Don and Loretta joined the Timber Twirlers Square Dance Club and enjoyed that activity for a number of years. Together they spent many years working at the election polling places in town.
In 1976, Don went to work for Parsons’ Paints. He retired in 1993, but being retired didn’t mean he quit working! He worked as a truck mechanic, he drove school bus for DNUSD, and he drove for Dial-a-Ride. In about 2004, he started volunteering for the Veterans’ Service Office, transporting veterans to Bandon, where they would meet up with transportation to the Roseburg Veterans’ Medical Center. Don would wait in Bandon for the vets to return and then drive back to Crescent City. He did this for fourteen years, when at the age of 90 he turned in the van keys.
Don’s greatest joy was his family: his wife of 70 years, Loretta; children Brian (Cindy), Linda, Curtis (Lois), and Traci; grandchildren Brandon (Tawni) and Andrew (Courtney) Johnson; Kevin (Julie) and Bradley Baxter, and Vanessa Duncan (Casey); Juan (Dora), Jose (Kim), and Graciela Espinoza; great-grandchildren Ashley and Matthew Baxter, Ryker and Reyna Duncan; Mateo and Lucas Macias Espinoza. He enjoyed spending time with his siblings, Roland (Patricia) Johnson, Bonnie (Gerry) Licht, Theola (Oris) Wolff, and their families.
Don was preceded in death by his son, Brian; his sister, Bonnie Licht; his niece, Annette Wolff Shinkle; his in-laws, Oris Wolff, Gerry Licht, Patricia Johnson. Niece-in-law Lauren Loeffler and nephews-in-law Matt Brown and Sam Dunlap.
There will be no funeral service; however, a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, 29 June 2024, from 1:00PM to 3:00PM, at the Crescent Fire Protection District Building, 255 W. Washington Boulevard, Crescent City.