Raymond Carl Johnson's Obituary
Johnson, Raymond Carl, age 88, of Waynesville, passed away Friday, July 21, 2023, at his residence with family by his side.
Raymond was born December 31, 1934, at home in one of the original one-room schoolhouses of Bellbrook, Ohio. He attended Bellbrook HS and the University of Dayton. For nearly ten years, he was a part owner of Jim Nick Corp. in Dayton and continued his career at GM. Three of his machines at Jim Nick Corp. were quite notable. They were machines that helped build the St. Louis Arch, one that created steel wool pads, and the first diaper-making machine. He absolutely loved what he did but decided to retire in 1992. With that engineering mindset, he was very handy at building things and enjoyed tinkering in his garage. In addition, he also built barns, decks, floors, and many other woodworking projects. He created a second job out of his garage, where he could build machines, equipment, and other items.
He was ornery and outgoing and just fun to be around. He loved all his cowboy treasures, for he was a cowboy at heart. He and his horse Dixie would ride all around the Bellbrook area back when it was still considered farmland. He loved to ride her along the river bank, find snakes and shoot them with his trusty 22-long rifle.
His world revolved around God and family. He played endless hours of basketball behind the house with his family and the neighborhood kids and led many adventures in scouting. The summers were spent camping for weeks at a time. Either locally, at Hueston Woods, where he could commute to work, or taking long trips out west to the mountains. He never thought twice about helping his parents or in-laws with projects over the years. He looked forward to gatherings with family and close friends that allowed them to play croquet and cards, especially Euchre, together. Holidays were especially important to celebrate with family. Raymond and his wife, Natalie, still loved hosting Christmas, even with the chaos created by the ever-growing family. He loved playing Santa with his kids, the grandkids, and the great-grandkids. He was extremely proud of his wife, who raised their children, and considered her "his pride and joy.". He was truly a Godly family man.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Marie Johnson, and two brothers, Frankie Johnson and James Johnson. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Natalie Standley Johnson; sister-in-law, Ada Johnson; and cousin, Janice Devlin. His five children, Raymond Jeffery (Debbie) Johnson, Christine (Peter) Aiello, Steven (Patty) Johnson, Timothy Johnson, and Trisha Johnson; nine grandchildren, Jennifer (Marty) Thieman, Cristy (Nick) Elson, Emily (Andrew) Ratliff, Peter Christopher Aiello, Anna (Kristopher) Collier, Caitlin (Nick) Hammons, Colleen (Sumo) Attuquayefio; Gwenevier (Cullen) Demarest; and Lane Johnson; 13 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services will be held at 12:30 PM Wednesday, July 26, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. Raymond Jeffery Johnson will be officiating the services. The family will receive friends 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Wednesday at the funeral home. The family invites everyone to dinner at Crossview Christian Church in Waynesville at 5 PM Wednesday to celebrate Raymond's life and continue the fellowship. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Hospice of Dayton. Condolences at www.stubbsconner.com
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