Of an Era...and Hero

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