Jimmy C. Johnson

Jimmy C. Johnson, 90, died of cancer March 7, 2024, at home and surrounded by love.

His family and friends will miss his laughs and shenanigans, his optimism, his beautiful tenor voice, his poetry, discussions about history and good books, and his passion for West Texas. He loved God, demonstrating this faithfully all his life by caring for others.

Jim was born in Alpine, Texas, sharing a rich, multi-generational family ranching heritage and young life with his parents, Murphy R. and Gladys Vest Johnson, and sister, MayNell. Other forebears founded Johnson City, TX. After Jim attended kindergarten in Terlingua and schools in Alpine and Monahans, he graduated from Monahans HS, Odessa College, and TCU (magna cum laude, 1955).

While working in Dallas with Arthur Andersen after graduation, Jim was drafted, teaching two years at the U.S. Army's Finance Center, Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indianapolis). There, he met the love of his life, Rosalyn, on a funny blind date. By 1959, they had married and moved to Dallas, living 20 years in East Dallas and raising two children. Though his professional life comprised numbers and being a CPA, he loved people and music most, serving as an elder, Sunday School teacher, and choir member at East Dallas Christian Church. Along the way, Jim did formal theological and corporate leadership studies. Somehow, the boy from West Texas learned to drive a boat, spending countless weekends swimming and fishing at Cedar Creek Lake with friends.

Other accounting jobs followed at George A. Fuller, Tecon Corp., and Bell Helicopter. At Tecon, working for Clint Murchison as secretary treasurer, Jim sometimes cut paychecks for Cowboys' players. He served as CFO and corporate secretary for Dairy Queen Stores Inc., 1969-1978, as it went public and grew from 49 to 304 locations in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1978, Jim began two decades as CFO for Overcash Goodman Enterprises in Fort Worth, moving to Arlington for the rest of his life. He joined the Downtown Fort Worth Rotary in 1981, chaired an allocations subcommittee for Tarrant County United Way for five years, and participated in Junior Achievement's mentor program.

After his lifelong membership in the Christian (Disciples of Christ) church, Jim and Rosalyn both returned to her faith, and he was wholeheartedly confirmed as a Catholic. He led the Come Home ministry at MBS Arlington; prayed with home-bound members as a communion minister for more than 15 years; organized Keeping Children Safe training; sang in the choir; and helped with RCIA. He enthusiastically attended many theater and music performances of his son, Jim, and his granddaughters. He loved that his daughter, Jacque, taught at his alma mater, TCU. He kept up with pop and Americana music, climate actions plans, and engineering to show his grandchildren how proud of them he was. His and Rosalyn's 65th wedding anniversary was just a few weeks after his death. Her amazing care, with support from family and hospice, allowed Jim to spend the last four months of his life at home, with small joys along the way.

Jim is survived by Rosalyn; his daughter and son-in-law, Jacque and Tom Lambiase of Arlington; his son and daughter-in-law, Jim Johnson and Darlene Marks of Fort Worth; his grandchildren, Tacy Lambiase and spouse Brian Moserowitz of Silver Spring, Md., Emma Lambiase and partner Simon Knudtson of Nashville; and many beloved family and lifelong friends. A remembrance service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13, in the chapel of Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Arlington, followed by a reception in the parish hall. Private burial of his ashes will be this fall in Alpine. Jim loved these nonprofits, Tarrant Area Food Bank and Doctors Without Borders, in lieu of flowers.