Search by Name

Search by Name

Keith Johnson Obituary

Keith Johnson

August 25, 1942 - July 31, 2020

Keith Johnson, retired Emeritus Regents Professor of Trumpet in the College of Music at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX passed away on July 31, 2020 as a result of the Covid- 19 virus and complications of advancing dementia. He was born John Keith Johnson on August 25, 1942 in Center, TX to Maxine (Williams) and Johnie Johnson. He was the eldest of three boys each 6 years apart - Alan (wife Bettye ) of Center, TX and Stephen (wife Renee) of Marlin, TX. He is survived by his 2 brothers and their families, wife of 50 years Cecile LeBlanc Johnson of Denton, daughter Andrea Johnson Bustos of Denton, son Stephen of San Antonio and beloved granddaughter Victoria, a student at Texas Tech, along with nieces, nephews, treasured colleagues, dear friends and so many devoted trumpet students.

Mr. Johnson graduated from Center High School and he held advanced music degrees in trumpet performance from North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) and the University of Illinois. His teachers included William Scarlato (Shreveport Symphony), John Haynie (University of North Texas), Haskell Sexton (University of Illinois), Vincent Cichowicz (Chicago Symphony), Armando Ghitalla (Boston Symphony) and Arnold Jacobs (Chicago Symphony).

Mr. Johnson was awarded the title of Regents Professor in 1996. He was named a University Distinguished Professor of Teaching in the fall of 2011. Prior to UNT, he was Professor of Trumpet at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa where he taught from 1970-1986. He performed with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, the Dallas Opera, the Fort Worth Symphony, the New Hampshire Music Festival and the Sundance Brass Quintet. He played Baroque trumpet with the Dallas Bach Society, Fort Worth Early Music Consort, the Orchestra of New Spain, the Texas Baroque Trumpet Ensemble, the San Francisco Bach Choir and Orchestra, Texas Camerata and the New York Baroque Orchestra. He also performed with the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Shreveport, Kansas City, Cape Town, the Mexico City Philharmonic, the Mexico City Symphony, the Solistas de Mexico, and the Orchestra of the Mineria Festival (Mexico City). He presented both clinics and recitals at more than seventy-five universities and conservatories throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Romania, Italy, England, The Netherlands, Australia, Brazil and South Africa, and was a featured clinician at The International Trumpet Guild Conferences on numerous occasions.

He is the author of two highly acclaimed books, The Art of Trumpet Playing (Iowa State University Press/Gore Publications) and Brass Performance and Pedagogy (Prentice-Hall), and published more than forty articles on brass playing as well as a method book entitled Developing the Upper Register. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild, and for eight years was music review editor for the International Trumpet Guild Journal. His students hold playing and teaching positions in orchestras, bands and universities in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Italy, England, France, Spain, Germany and Romania. He was selected by the International Trumpet Guild to receive the Award of Merit for service to the trumpet profession at the ITG Convention in 2012, and in the summer of 2013 was presented a Distinguished Service Award by the New Hampshire Music Festival for fifty years of service as co-principal trumpet of the Festival Orchestra. He retired from UNT in 2014 and in 2016 was bestowed a UNT College of Music Honor Alumni Award.

Diagnosed in 2015 with frontal temporal lobe (FTD) semantic dementia, he was most recently a resident of the Eagle Ridge Alzheimer's Special Care Center. The family wishes to thank his many caregivers over the years and most especially the compassionate nurses and doctors who ministered to him during his final days at Denton Medical City Hospital.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions regarding gatherings, a requiem mass/memorial service and committal of his remains in the columbarium at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church will be scheduled at a later date. It is also hoped that a more public memorial tribute concert be organized when it is truly safe to be together again.

In the meantime, the angels are surely enjoying a heavenly concert with the newest trumpet player showing up to the gig. "The trumpets shall sound......." In his own words, "Think a beautiful sound, take a full breath, sing through the horn." His legacy is legend - truly evident in the wonderful playing and exemplary teaching careers of his many accomplished students.

His family has asked for memorials to be sent to the UNT College of Music Keith Johnson Graduate Trumpet Endowment Fund; the New Hampshire Music Festival , PO Box 64 , Plymouth, NH 03264; or to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1200 North Elm, Denton, TX 76201.

Online condolences may be made at www.mulkeybowlesmontgomery.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Denton Record-Chronicle on Aug. 5, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Keith Johnson

Sponsored by Mulkey-Bowles-Montgomery Funeral Home.

Not sure what to say?





0 Entries

Be the first to post a memory or condolences.

Make a Donation
in Keith Johnson's name

Memorial Events
for Keith Johnson

To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one.

Funeral services provided by:

Mulkey-Bowles-Montgomery Funeral Home

705 N. Locust, Denton, TX 76201

How to support Keith's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Keith Johnson's life and legacy
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more