Allen Johnson’s Living Obituary

The people who made a difference

I am immensely grateful to the people who reached out to me in my lifetime:

• My mom, Helen Marco Johnson. What a sweet and gentle soul she was.
• My wife, Juanita “Nita” Astleford Johnson. My bride for 54 years, I could never have chosen a better woman, a better friend, a better life companion.
• Ernie Dewater, my caring Sunday School Superintendent.
• Doris Lisk, my championing high school English teacher.
• Harvey Hart, who was the only person who ever called me “Doctor Johnson.”
• Earl Owens, my favorite erudite college professor at Northwest Nazarene College.
• Dave Leach, such an engaging Quaker minister who died too young in a small aircraft accident.
• My cousin, Basil Katsaros, who never judged me.
• My brother, Ray. Although we had our differences, I like to believe we loved each other.
• Jean “Juanito” Garcia, a Spanish-born French philosopher and dear friend.
• And the Magnificent Seven (Mike Pieracci, Ed Frost, Wes Luckey, Carl Van Hoff, Allen Brecke, and Mitch Dixon), the guys who shared their lives with me when I entered my seventies.

My favorite things

I’ll start with the novel and 1962 movie, To Kill a Mockingbird. It should be required reading for every American, as well as for every foreigner who would like to know America. The books that were influential in my career as a psychologist included Choice Theory by William Glasser and A Different Drum by Scott Peck—both powerful books.

I have one unrelenting favorite food: dark chocolate in any disguise. As far as I’m concerned, dark chocolate should be the sixth food group.

There are so many favorite movies, but I’ll go with Lost Horizon (1937), Big (1988), Dead Poets Society (1989), Regarding Henry (1991), Dave (1993), Pleasantville (1998), Cast Away (2000), The Majestic (2001), Gran Torino (2008), the entire Andy Hardy Series with Mickey Rooney (1937-1946), and everything from directors Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock.

My Yamaha grand piano is also a favorite old friend. Its vibrations always penetrate my chest and lifted my spirit. I still take joy in singing over the piano keys, especially the melodic tunes from the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s.

I am at peace.

I have had a very good life, for which I am effusively thankful. I flew planes; rode motorcycles; scuba dived in the Caribbean; climbed mountains in the Northwest; became fluent in French; and created beautiful photographic portraits and landscapes.

Over time, I came to realize that everything did not have to be perfect.

As I grew older, I realized I was slowly becoming invisible. I was no longer the first man asked to play the lead in a play, or headline a musical concert, or deliver the keynote address. But that was all right. It was time for new names to emerge, new talent to make their mark. And I relaxed in the knowledge that it was my time to turn to coaching, reading, and writing.

Because I did not have children, I tried to build community wherever I roamed, especially among young people

I am thankful for the time I had on earth. I let the warm sun fall on my face. I felt the exquisite tenderness of Nita, my one and only true love.

I leave you, my breathing friends, with a favorite reflection that comes from Wayne Dyer’s book, Your Sacred Self: When you have a choice between being right or being kind, choose being kind. Being right is about ego, being kind is about spirit.

Happy trails!

For anyone who may be interested, I invite you to read In Defiance of the Night, which can be found on my website: www.allenjohnsonsworld.com.