Charles Henry Johns

Charles Henry Johns (Oct. 3, 1920–Aug. 30, 2013). The family and friends of Charles Johns mourn his passing after complications from surgery. In him we have lost a cherished father and grandfather, a loyal and beloved friend, and another proud Greatest Generation veteran who put up a good fight until the very end. We will miss Charles's brilliant mind, incisive wit, his ability to write poetry and recite song lyrics from memory, his lifelong passion for the automobile, and his infectious love of all the best things in life. He was truly a treasure and inspiration to his loving family and to the many friends he has made through his long rich life. Charles was born in Harrison, N.J., and raised in Chatham, N.J. He spent his early years working in New York City, enjoying Big Band performances and summers at the New Jersey shore before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1942. He trained as a pilot, and after receiving his wings was selected for a Marine Corps night fighter squadron. Captain Johns was stationed on Guam, and flew an F6F Hellcat on bombing missions in the South Pacific. He met the love of his life, Navy R.N. and Lieutenant J.G. Mary Elisabeth Sage, at Eagle Mountain Lake Naval Air Station in Texas. They married on Aug. 8, 1946, at Mount Hope Methodist Church in Mary's hometown farming community of Waterloo, Iowa. Together they returned to Chatham, N.J., to build a house, start a family, and begin their 64-year adventure together. They were devoted to one another and were simply inseparable, whether they were traveling, entertaining friends and family, or just having coffee on the patio. Over his 25-year career in sales promotion and customer relations with Sunray DX Oil Company and Sunoco, the Johns family lived in Charles' New Jersey, Mary's Iowa, and Sunoco's Oklahoma, leading to a happy retirement in Tulsa. Charles and Mary made their move to Montereau in 2003 where they formed many new and lasting friendships in a beautiful and gracious environment. The family is grateful for all of the wonderful times we have had there over the years. Charles is predeceased by his beloved Mary in 2010, and by his brothers Horace (1944) and William (2006). Charles is survived by a sister, Jeanie Kersbergen of Brattleboro, Vt., his sisters-in-law Lucy Johns of New York, N.Y., and Marlys Sage of Madison, Wis., and his four children and their families: son Robert Johns [Linda Hennum], St. Paul, Minn.; daughter Nancy Swearingen [Jim], Rogers, Ark.; son David Johns, Tulsa, Okla.; and daughter Bethany Johns [Denise Mitchell], Providence, R.I.; granddaughter Anna Younger [Adam], St. Paul, Minn.; grandsons Robert, Russell [Lara], and William Swearingen, of Rogers and Little Rock, Ark. May we all take a lesson from Charles and enjoy life to the fullest, finding ways to laugh and surround ourselves with friends and loved ones, to have a song in our hearts, and to always have the deepest gratitude for all of our blessings. We are grateful to the St. Francis Hospital 5 West ICU for the care and compassion they showed to him throughout his extended stay. Visitation will be 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Moore's Southlawn. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at Asbury United Methodist-Mason Chapel. Gifts can be made in Charles' honor to the Oklahoma Library for the Blind or the charity of your choice. Moore's Southlawn Chapel 918-663-2233 share memories at www.moorefuneral.com.