Don Alan Johnson

Don Alan Johnson, 76, of Yuma, Arizona, passed quietly into the arms of his Savior on January 10, 2026. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 22, 1949, to Leland and Marion Johnson, the younger sibling of Christine (Essig). Besides being called son and brother, he was known by many other names.

Husband to Twila (Dirks). They married in 1977 after a friend introduced him to the pretty nurse at the hospital where he had just had surgery. Over the next 48 years, they moved where the Lord led, living in Iowa, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Guatemala before settling in Yuma in 1991. There he worked with the youth, mentored young men, and served as an elder at local churches.

Daddio to his three children, Micah, Hannah, and Elizabeth. He brought joy and laughter to their home, loving unconditionally and cheering the loudest as they pursued their dreams. He welcomed son-in-law John Whitson (Hannah) to the family in 2001 and daughter-in-law Beth Lopez (Micah) in 2004.

Pooh Paw to his five grandchildren, Julia, Rachel, and Caleb Whitson and Emily and Jacob Johnson. He chose the moniker for himself and taught each of them to call him that. He spent many hours crawling on the floor with his grandkids and taking them fishing. During Sunday morning services, they joined him in the sanctuary, greeting old friends and making new ones. And no one could be prouder of the young men and women they have grown into.

Mr. Johnson to the many students, parents, and faculty he invested in. After earning his bachelor's at Moody Bible Institute in 1977 and his master's in education from Drake University in 1985, he worked as a teacher, family literacy coordinator, and elementary school principal until retiring in 2008.

Brother Don to the men of the Cibola and La Paz yards at the Arizona Department of Corrections prison in San Luis. For more than ten years, Don met with them weekly for Bible study and prayer, teaching them about the source of true freedom. He had the privilege of baptizing more than 30 men as they turned to follow Jesus.

Most important, he was called a child of God. When he gave his life to Christ in 1971, Jesus made all the difference. Transformed into the man we honor and remember now, Don became a loving husband, invested father, caring friend, and true servant of the Lord.

Those who knew him will remember his name. But beyond that, he wanted everyone to know the name above all names- Jesus Christ. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Friends are invited to the celebration of life service on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 1:00pm at Calvary Chapel of Yuma, 3280 S 4th Ave, Yuma, AZ 85365.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of these ministries dear to Don's heart-Arizona Reservation Ministries, which shares the love of Christ by serving the people of the San Carlos Apache Reservation (azrez.org/general-support), or Moody Bible Institute, which is raising up the next generation of missionaries to go to the ends of the earth (give.moodybible.org).