Mr. Donald M Johnson

Donald M Johnson, 92, husband of Janet Moe Johnson, formerly of the Keowee Key Community, passed away on Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Wilmington, NC. Born in Watertown, NY, Don was the son of the late John P. and Ethel Yondo Johnson. He was raised in Malone, NY and graduated from Franklin Academy, where he also helped his family develop Titus Mountain Ski Area. Don was a proud veteran of the United States Army, where he received Special Forces training. Following two years of military service and earning his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, he began a distinguished career working for General Dynamics in Rochester, NY; Bendix Corporation in Mishawaka, IN; and later Honeywell in Minneapolis, MN, where he contributed to guided missile development. Don then proceeded to Corning Inc. in Corning, NY, where he spent the next 30 plus years in research intelligence. Don was a man of remarkable intelligence, deep scientific curiosity, and extraordinary talent. He had an exceptional ability to understand how things worked—able to fix nearly anything and build what others only imagined, including an early color television, a pinball machine, and even a bulldozer. He shared that ingenuity with his children, teaching them not only how to ride a bike and drive a car, but even how to fly an airplane. From a young age, Don was fascinated by physics, a passion that led him to become an accomplished electrical engineer and later earn his MBA from Michigan State University. He also had a lifelong love of aviation, earning his private, commercial, instrument, and instructor ratings. He taught flying part-time and owned seven airplanes over the years. Though Don traveled extensively around the world for both work and pleasure, above all else, it was his faith and his family that remained closest to his heart. In addition to his wife of 60 years, Don was survived by his son: Michael Johnson (Konni); daughter: Jennifer Bunecke (Steve); sister-in-law: Janet Johnson; brother-in-law: Rev. John Moe (Grace); grandchildren: Sophia, Jonathan, Alyssa and Peyton; and multiple nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Don was preceded in death by brothers: John P Johnson, Jr (Charlotte), and Robert Johnson; sister-in-law: Dr. Nancy Crewe; step-mothers: Anne Farley and Belle Savage; and his step siblings. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Oconee Memorial Park in Seneca, SC. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by clicking on the following links T2T- https://dogood.t2t.org/give/320847/?_gl=1*1tf5alh*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NzcyOTk1MjMuQ2owS0NRandrcnpQQmhDcUFSSXNBSk40NjBtNWx0NUFjelRkUXYxT0FCX0Z1MzR2VmRlNGdUYnFvYy1FN0xkc0JrMU0zQXF1aTNCdlIwa2FBdklpRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MTMyMDA5MjEzMS4xNzc3Mjk5NTIx*_ga*MTIyMDIxNzI3MC4xNzc3Mjk5NTIy*_ga_KKJBEGGEYM*czE3NzcyOTk1MjIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzcyOTk1MjIkajYwJGwwJGgw#!/donation/checkout St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital -https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now

Mr. Donald M Johnson

March 6, 1934 - April 25, 2026