Longtime resident of Warrenville.
World War II veteran of the Army Air Corps. Volunteer fireman. First Fire Chief
of Warrenville. Public servant. Small business owner. Family man. Generations
of family near and far, most with a continuing connection to Warrenville.
Family members with solid roots in public service. Loving. Strong church family
membership. Eighty four years old. And oh what a smile!
And twinkling eyes sharing mirth so
easily, so easily! And strength of demeanor that radiated a simple message ~
you were in good hands. Steady hands. Cliff was on the scene.
Cliff Johnson’s funeral was held
today at Trinity Lutheran Church .
Hundreds, no, probably more like a thousand or more came. At least for a visit
and a hug for family members. Out of respect. From a need to connect with both
Cliff and his family, letting them know he was highly liked from afar or up
close. He was the real deal and people ached to say that in some fashion or
other.
Cliff and his wife Fay moved to
Warrenville in 1961. Before then he
opened his own business – Warrenville Radio and TV in 1958. In 1962 he joined
the Warrenville Fire Department as a paid-on-call volunteer ~ in those days the
department was all volunteer. In 1971 he was chosen to lead the department as
its chief. Later, when he retired from business in 1986, he became the first
full time employee of the department and worked tirelessly to build the
department on professional lines. Got to know people everywhere in the
profession and trained the personnel so they knew the community inside out, who
lived where, how many people resided in which dwellings. If an emergency
happened, they arrived on the scene knowing how to respond and for how many.
They did this to insure the community
remained whole through thick and thin. The fire department served and protected
the community. It valued Warrenville in the whole, and intended it to remain
that way.
Small town or big town with village
shoes, Warrenville is a very special place that is home to the willing and the
caring. With pride residents talk of the ‘Ville knowingly and lovingly.
Outsiders probably think we make this stuff up, but we know we don’t! Ours is a
small town with village personality and focus. We enjoy living here. With each
other. Keeping life in focus because this is the way we like it.
Small town living is often mistaken
as a state of mind, or living in a metaphor. But no; in Warrenville this is the
way we live. We know a lot of people. We care about them. The community comes
together to help those in need. They grieve with one another for the lost. They
cry for the injured. They raise funds for the families left homeless by fire;
or families facing the loss of a loved one from illness or accident. These are
moments to share with one another. These are the times a real community comes
together to mend, to celebrate and to be whole.
Cliff Johnson understood this about
Warrenville. He also set the tempo for the rest of us. We looked up to him for
leadership, for wisdom, for love and caring. And his family did the same.
We were witness to history today.
An era lived long and well. Although he is now gone he is not forgotten. He
remains with us in memory and heart. And we remain, those who were influenced
by him and forever changed.
Cliff was a part of our lives to be
sure; but so were we a part of his. Rest easy good friend. Rest easy. We will
keep your legacy alive.
October 5, 2012
Very well said...thank you for saying it!
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