death is no parenthesis

My Uncle Jerry stopped breathing yesterday.

He has been slowly stopping breathing for at least three years. A body without breath becomes very sad indeed.

My Uncle Jerry was a volunteer fire fighter. He flew to New York City hours after the attacks on 9/11, and spent two weeks assisting in the clean-up of the awful mess.

It was reported only recently that the first NY policeman to die from 9/11-related respiratory disease had passed. It's hard to believe that Uncle Jerry would be only the second responder to succumb, but it may in fact be true.

He spent his adult life serving our country and his community. I'll miss him.


Jerry Mareland Johnson
Funeral services for Jerry Mareland Johnson, 58, of Zavalla will be held Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 2 p.m. in the Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home Chapel in Huntington with Brother Keith Stanley and Brother Bob Harbuck officiating. Interment will follow in the Huntington Oddfellows Cemetery. Mr. Johnson was born April 11, 1948 in Beaumont, Texas to Dorothy (Craven) and Henry "PeeWee" Johnson, and died Monday, March 26, 2007 in a local hospital. Mr. Johnson graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1966, and attended Sam Houston State University until 1967, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam as a surgical assistant from 1968-1969, and received the Purple Heart. In 1974 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS El Paso as the "Ship's Doc". He was a pitcher for the Tidewater Tides baseball team while in the Navy. Mr. Johnson was chemically wounded in Vietnam and 100 percent disabled by Agent Orange. Mr. Johnson left the Navy in 1980 and began his career with the Angelina and Neches River Authority as Designated Representative. He worked for the Brookeland Fresh Water District in Jasper County from 1999 until 2001 as General Manager and Designated Representative. Following the 9-11 disaster he worked search and rescue for 14 days with His Glory Search and Rescue. Mr. Johnson was a member of the Lufkin and Nacogdoches Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, and was a member of the Rockland Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Johnnie Johnson of Zavalla; daughter and son-in-law, Krystal and Ian Hampton of League City; granddaughters, Skye Hampton and Autumn Hampton, both of League City; brothers, Kyle Johnson of Lufkin and Hank Johnson of Concord, California; brother-in-law, Doug Weaver of Lufkin; brother and sister-in-law, Dwight and Kathleen Walker of Huntington; sister-in-law and fiancee', Debbie Brookshire and Ken Stephens of Huntington; sister-in-law, Brenda Helton of Huntsville; and nine nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry "PeeWee" Johnson; mother, Dorothy (Craven) Bernard; stepmother, Margaret Grimes Johnson; stepfather, Elie Bernard; and mother-in-law and father-in-law, Gracie and J.D. Weaver. Pallbearers will be Michael Bishop, Tom Harris, Michael Neely, Ben Wells, R.D. Wittner and Johnny Wayne Sanford, all of V.V.A. Chapter 931. Honorary pallbearers will be Ron Risenhoover, Dan Shellinberg, Charles Ray Craven, Gary Curry, Bob Harbuck and Randy Havard. The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday evening at the funeral home in Huntington. Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home, Huntington, directors.