Glendon Towles Johnson

Col. Glendon T. Johnson, USAF, (Ret.) left this earth on his final mission at 0320 hours 20 May 2010. Funeral services will be conducted at 10:00 am Saturday May 22nd, 2010 in the auditorium of University Church of Christ, with Gene Linder officiating, assisted by Charlie Marler and Jim Bradford. Burial will follow at 2:30 pm in the Aspermont Cemetery with full military honors. A visitation will be held today, Friday the 21st, from 6-7:30 pm at Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut St.

Glendon Towles Johnson was born 15 Apr 1929 in Stonewall County, TX where his pioneer ancestors settled in 1885. He grew up and attended school at Old Glory, graduating from Old Glory High School as valedictorian in 1945. After enrolling at Texas Tech College to secure a degree in Animal Husbandry, he signed up for ROTC to help with school expenses and discovered that he liked it. The seven-year drought in progress prompted a move to advance ROTC, from which he graduated with the rank of Air Force Cadet Colonel.

His military career was exemplary. He participated in the Korean War, flying RB-26 missions; the Vietnam Conflict in C-130's; and with Strategic Air Command and the Cold War in RB-47s and B-52s, amassing more than 6,000 hours of flying time. Many of these were 24-hour missions from Texas across the U.s., refueling over Greenland, then across the Arctic Circle, another refueling over Alaska, and back to Texas. His last active duty assignment was as commander of the 12th Air Base Group in the Panama Canal Zone. A disabling health problem led to his retirement 1974, after which he moved the family to Abilene, where he has resided since.

He married Mary Evelyn Henson, a native Arkansan, whom he met in Sacramento, CA. They would have celebrated their 55th anniversary this year.

His parents were Bunyan Reese Johnson and Mary Lee Towles. He is survived by his wife, Mary; daughter Celia (John) Yancy and their son Evan of Fort Worth; daughter Jennifer (Jeff) Simpson and her children Angie Hernandez, Jared Hebbard, and Hailey (Bobby) Fisher of Edmond, OK; daughter Rachel (Kevin) Weems and their daughters, Avery and Kelsey of Abilene; and son Russell (Lisa) Johnson and their son, Reese of North Richland Hills, and one brother, Richard (Juanita) Johnson of Fort Stockton. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren and a number of very special nieces and nephews.

Glendon was a longtime member of University Church of Christ where he served as a deacon for a number of years. He was involved for many years with Boy Scout Troop 201 and looked with pride at the fine young men who passed through those scouting years to become leading citizens.
Serving as Honorary Pallbearers are Amos Ray, Jack Callan, Scouts and leaders of Troop 201, and his young prayer warrior, Drew Young. Active Pallbearers are Barry Young, Lane Herttenberger, Kris Southward, Paul Vertz, Derrick Bam, and DeWain Trayler.

The family wishes to thank Home Instead Senior Care and our aide, Cliff Dickinson, for his loving care and concern as well as Hendrick Hospice and The Oaks at Radford Hills. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Christian Service Center. Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.