Obituary of Donald Alden Johnson

Donald A. "Don" Johnson, formerly of The Valley, Syracuse, New York, Onondaga Hill, New York and The Nottingham in Syracuse, died Friday after two difficult years battling cancer. He was born in Rochester, New York and moved to Syracuse when he was 12. He attended Eastwood High School and graduated from East Syracuse High School. He was a World War II veteran serving with the 12th Armored Division. He was married to two lovely ladies, Marion Coon who died in 1985 and Kathleen Mullally who died in 2001. He graduated from Central City Business Institute and worked at Lincoln Bank for several years where he met Bernard Corbishley, who became a lifelong friend of over 50 years. He later worked for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where he retired as a procedure analyst in 1987 after 33 years of employment. Throughout his life Don was very active in volunteer work, including The Valley Little League in the late 1960's where he was a team manager for Arctic Island as well as secretary of the league for many years. He was active in Meals on Wheels and volunteered at Community General Hospital and Van Duyn Home and Hospital. He did the weekly read out program for WCNY for several years. Don enjoyed golfing and bowling and belonged to the Onondaga Seniors Friday Morning Golf League at Orchard Vali, and Tuesday Bowling League at Syracuse Bowling Center. Don was a communicant of St. James Church for over 40 years, where he was a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. Don will always be remembered for his sense of humor, which carried him through adverse periods, including the illnesses of his two wives as well as his own health problems. He is survived by three daughters and son-in-laws, Mary Ellen and Russ Zackevich of Onondaga Hill, New York, Elizabeth and Gregg Rush of Waterport, New York and Kathleen and Maynard Holt of Houston, Texas; one son and daughter-in-law Paul and Tricia Johnson of Flower Mound, Texas; eight grandchildren, Natalie Zackevich, Ken and Bradley Rush, Owen, Eliza and Ethan Holt, Kendall and Brooke Johnson; one sister and her husband, Gloria and Chuck Rogers of Brewerton, New York; a brother-in-law, Ron Coon of Winterpark, Florida; several nieces and nephews. In addition, he is survivied by Kate Mullally's children, Michael Mullally, Karen Smythe, Patty Knopp, Kathy Mullally, Maureen Fekete and their families. Services: Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 11:00 a.m. in St. James Church, 4845 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, New York. Burial: White Chapel Memory Gardens, Kinne Road, Dewitt, New York. Calling Hours: Monday, October 10, 2005, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Ballweg & Lunsford Funeral Home, Inc., 4612 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, New York Contributions: Hospice Foundation of Central New York, 990 Seventh North Street, Liverpool, New York 13088-6148 or to St. James School, 4837 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, New York 13205