Thomas Robert Johnson

VIEW SERVICE FOLDER

Tom's earthly journey began in Albion, Nebraska on September 24, 1931 and his passage into eternal life was completed on January 18, 2018.  Thomas Robert was the fifth of six children and the only son born to Mell and Maggie (DeWeese) Johnson.  He grew up in Omaha and graduated from Omaha Technical High School in 1951.

He enrolled at Sioux Falls College where he met the love of his life, Mary Guild. In 1956, Tom graduated with a degree in Business Administration and he and Mary were married on July 20th of that year.  They began their life together in Chicago where Tom managed a bookstore that served Chicago Teachers College.

In 1959, they moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where their daughter, Denise was born.  In 1961 Tom accepted the position of Director of Personnel with Goodwill Industries in Des Moines, Iowa.  It was here they welcomed their son, Bruce.

In 1965 the family moved to Ottumwa, Iowa where Tom began the work that he considered to be God's call on his life.  A group of concerned parents had recognized that their children with cognitive and physical disabilities needed service beyond their school years.  They had raised $18,000 with which to establish a program modeled after Goodwill Industries and were seeking a founding executive director to develop it.  Community businesses donated office space, two desks, a typewriter and a mimeograph machine.  Tom hired a secretary and fund raising began, along with a search for a suitable facility in which to house the program.  And so began a ministry of 20 years.

Tom put a face to the possibilities of people with disabilities and he used the gift of cerebral palsy to educate the public as to the potential of those who were marginalized or overlooked as contributing members of society.  Tom's genuine love was manifested through his gentleness, wit, humor, and compassion.  He learned to overcome adversity and limitations with humility and a sense of purpose.  He knew the importance of giving dignity and respect to others and was able to translate that in such a way that the public responded and the dream took root in the program, Tenco Workshop.

The developing program received a significant boost in 1972, when, after hearing Tom speak, a bachelor farmer was so moved he left his entire estate to Tenco.  The program outgrew the original facility, so Tom set about raising funds for a building that he hoped would meet the organization's  needs for years to come.  Before retiring from Tenco in 1984, Tom had raised over a million dollars and secured the facility that houses the program today.  (www.tenco.org)

During those years, Tom was selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Services and Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled under President Lyndon Johnson.  Other areas of service included the Iowa Governor's Committee for the Employment of the Handicapped under Governors Ray and Branstad; The Regional Advisory Board for Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, United Cerebral Palsy Board of Directors, Iowa Association of Retarded Children, and the Iowa Association of Sheltered Workshops. He received a Certificate of Recognition from Sioux Falls College for Outstanding Leadership and Service in the Ministry to the Physically and Mentally Handicapped in 1977.  In 1992, Tom received the Governor’s volunteer award for Outstanding Service to the State of Iowa.  Tom's mother was so proud when he was included in the 1967 edition of OUTSTANDING YOUNG MEN OF AMERICA.

Tom's ministry extended to other areas in the community and beyond. Recognizing Tom's deep faith in Christ, he was drawn into leadership roles, not only in his local church and local faith community; but also at the state and regional level. While serving on the MidAmerican Baptist Home Society Board, he and the Reverend Donald Ripley pioneered housing for people with disabilities.  The first of such homes was built in Ottumwa, Iowa and served Tenco clients. Included in that board's oversight was the establishment of Trail Ridge in Sioux Falls.

Tom also served as a board member of the Minnesota/Iowa American Baptist Region Policy Board and as moderator of its Area III division in southeast Iowa.  Other involvements included instructor in the Youth Leadership Core, Forest Lake Baptist Camp Building Committee, volunteer staff member at the American Baptist Conference for Disabled Adults, and Rainbow Acres Board of Directors in Arizona.  Tom was also active in local ministry, chairing several church boards and pastoral search committees as well as serving as a Sunday School teacher, moderator and lay preacher.

Involvement within the community included chairperson of the Ottumwa Human Rights Commission, volunteer and board member of the Wapello/Davis Counties Hospice, and as a court appointed advocate for persons in need of assistance with money management.

In 1988, Tom was recognized as the Ecumenical Person of the Year by the Ottumwa Fellowship of Churches.  First United Methodist Church of Ottumwa honored him with The Human Relations Award in 1980.

As much as he accomplished in his professional life, the roles Tom cherished most were those of husband, father and grandfather.  Tom's devotion to his family was shaped by his mother's commitment to her six children whom she raised as a single parent after Tom's father left the family in 1937.  The hardships of the family knitted a very close bond between Tom and his five sisters.  He vowed that if he ever became a parent, he would cherish his role.  As a son-in-law, Tom, alongside Mary, lovingly assumed the role of caregiver when her parents moved in with them in 1988.

Tom is survived by his wife, Mary ; his daughter Denise , and her husband David Hair and their son, Douglas Hair and his wife Amanda ; his son, Bruce , and his wife, Stacey and their two sons: Thomas and his wife Sheena and their son, Jacob Thomas ; and Samuel. He is also survived by his sisters, June Welty and Lois Prideaux; and numerous extended family members and many friends.  Tom is preceded in death by his mother, father and sisters: Marie Redmond, Peggy Hatton and Margaret Clair Johnson.

Tom enjoyed good food.  He enjoyed good company even more!  Friends and family are invited to share a meal in Tom's honor at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 27th at Asbury United Methodist Church, 2425 S Western Ave., SF, SD.  The memorial service will be held in the sanctuary at 1:00 p.m.  Interment will be at a later date in the Dell Rapids Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to Tenco, Inc. through their website www.tenco.org or sent to Tenco Inc. at 710 Gateway Dr, Ottumwa IA 52501.