Johnson, Donald K.

 July 13, 1926- January 1, 2010

 

Donald K. Johnson Resident of Alameda A lifelong Alamedan, Don passed away peacefully on January 1, 2010, at Kaiser Hospital, Fremont. He was born July 13, 1926 in the family's Clement Avenue home, the ninth child of John Bernard and Grace Fales Johnson. He was preceded in death by sisters Rose Paskewitz, Dorothy (Fern) Hard, Phyllis Goodbarn and Grace (Betty) Simens, and brothers Loyde, John (Stanley), Bernard and Lewis. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Dana and Jenilynn Johnson of Alameda and a host of nephews and nieces.

Don attended schools in Alameda and left Alameda High three days following his 17th birthday to enlist in the U.S. Navy. After graduation from radio school at Texas A&M and a short term of service with Comserviant in Norfolk, VA, he was assigned to a Navy minesweeper, the USS Dour. He joined the ship at its commissioning in Lorain, Ohio in 1944 and stayed aboard as a radioman until the ship underwent "mothballing" in Orange, Texas. During that time, the Dour patrolled the waters of Okinawa and le Shima and swept mines throughout the south Pacific, the Yellow Sea and waters off Jinsen, Korea and Sasebo, Japan. Don left the Navy four years to the day after his enlistment and resumed his education.

Following graduation from City College of San Francisco he enrolled as a journalism major at San Jose State University. During his stay there he married Pauline Andersen. The two had met during the long daily commute from Alameda to college classes in San Francisco. Their 49-year marriage ended when Pauline lost a long battle with cancer in 2002. Don started his journalism career as a copy boy at the Oakland Tribune in 1954. he rose quickly through the ranks and within three years was named Sunday Features Editor, in charge of all sections indigenous to the Sunday paper as well as all Tribune coverage of art, music, movies, radio/TV, travel and other facets of entertainment and leisure. He retired in 1990. Don enjoyed bowling and continued with the sport into his 80s. As an avid A's fan and season ticket holder, he found great pleasure in attending games frequently with his son. Each day Don's morning started with a crossword puzzle and word game over a cup of coffee. And each day included time spent surfing the web on his computer and chatting with friends throughout the U.S. He also found time to drive to Reno several times each year to hone and test his skills at the blackjack tables. Preceding his ashes being placed alongside those of Pauline's in the family's resting place at Chapel of the Chimes in Hayward, there will be a small memorial service held on Monday, January 11th at 1:30 pm. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please make donations to Alameda Meals On Wheels, P.O. Box 2534, Alameda CA 94501.