Donald Carlisle Johnson was born in Berkeley, CA to Arvid and Ethel Johnson. He was the eldest of three sons. The family moved to Idaho, Washington, Indiana, and Ohio during his childhood.

Don served in the South Pacific during World War II and returned to Cleveland, Ohio to marry his wife of 64 years, Inez Ericson. He attended North Park College in Chicago, Illinois and earned his B.A. at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. He later completed Master and Doctorate Degrees in Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

His very unique and rewarding career included overseas assignments with the US State Department and World Health Organization in Ethiopia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Nigeria for a total of 24 years. His final assignment before retirement, as Chief of Health Education for the World Health Organization, was a fitting conclusion to his career.

During retirement, Don moved to Turlock, CA where he served as Adjunct Professor of Public Health at California State University, Stanislaus and assisted with the University's international education projects in Ethiopia. He continued his traveling with short term consultant assignments to countries in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa. His particular passion was to advance health care in Ethiopia where his overseas career began.

Don was a man of deep Christian faith who dearly loved his wife and family. He is survived by his two brothers Ray Johnson and Ted Johnson, his wife Inez, his son Jim with wife Kara, his son Ken, his son Tom with wife Judy, his son Paul, his daughter Kathy Baas with husband Brent, and his daughter Kristy Kolehmainen with husband Don, in addition to 17 grandchildren and spouses and 6 great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 7, at Berg Hall in Covenant Village, Turlock. Services entrusted with Turlock Memorial Park and Funeral Home.

Turlock Journal
Saturday, December 17, 2011