Rodney Allen Johnson

Rodney A. Johnson, 80 of Kearney died, Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM, Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Kearney. The Rev. Gary Main will officiate. Interment will be held at a later date. Military rites will be conducted at the church by the Offutt Air Force Base Honor Guard, VFW Post 759 and the American Legion Post 52 of Kearney. Visitation with family will be 5-7 PM, Wednesday at O'Brien Straatmann Funeral Home in Kearney. Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation. On-line condolences may be shared at osrfh.com. O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home of Kearney is in charge of arrangements. Rodney was born December 27, 1933 to Emil W. and Alvia E. (Paris) Johnson on a farm near Fremont, Nebraska. He graduated Fremont High School in 1951 and obtained an associate degree in advanced accounting from Lincoln School of Commerce. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S.A.F. He moved to Kearney and began working for the John Gorgen Public Accounting Firm on September 2, 1958. He owned and operated a real estate business from 1962 until becoming manager of the Kearney Municipal Airport on September 2, 1972. He retired from the airport on December 31, 1998. He married Arlene Gillming in Kearney on October 16, 1960. They have two children, Kirk and Kathryn. He and Arlene were actively involved in United Methodist Church and served as Youth Leaders and were involved in numerous church activities. During his years as a businessman in Kearney, he served as Vice President of Kearney Jaycees, Chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Sec/Treas. of Buffalo County Republicans, Chairman of Buffalo County Board of Realtors. He initiated the capital fund drive that enabled the Salvation Army to build at its present location at 18th and Central Avenue. He was one of the originators of the Kearney United Way and served as campaign chairman in 1966. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Kearney Chamber of Commerce and on the Kearney City Planning Commission. During his tenure as Airport Manager, he obtained his private pilot’s license, and served a term as President of the Nebraska Association of Airport Officials. He served on state and national committees for the preservation of scheduled air service in rural America. He obtained numerous federal and state grants and initiated various capital improvement projects for the modernization of the airport. In 1992, the Kearney Municipal Airport was the first airport to ever be designated as “Airport of The Year” by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years Arlene, son and daughter-in-law Kirk and Nancy Johnson of Omaha, daughter, Kathryn Johnson of Lincoln, sister Bertie Lou Lowe of Lincoln, sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Jerry Ellison of Broken Bow, brother-in-law, Richard Gillming of North Platte, special friends, Larry and Helen Miller of Kearney along with many other loving and wonderful family and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, mother and his brother, Dale.

Rodney Allen Johnson

December 27, 1933 - May 10, 2014