Name: Showalter Blackwell Long Funeral Home
Address: Liberty, IN

Dear Welborn family - we are very sorry for your loss. May you find comfort in happy memories.
Sincerely, 
Union County Foundation Board & Staff

So sorry to hear about your loss. I always considered Johnny a close friend and a great person to work with. He was always in a good mood and very easy to get along with. I will always remember him fondly.

My condolences to you and family. My fondest memory of Johnny was when we went to Charlotte for a machine run-off. On the way back I learned a lot about some relatives from Liberty. He did not find out till later that I was related to them. One of the few times I ever seen him lost for words. I was an electrician for Ford/Visteon. I'm now a nurse in KY.

Tina and Family,
I can think of many times from grade school up to how I handle situations today that I have positively been influenced by the leadership, thoughtfullness and caring of Johnny. Anyone that can use his example how he lived will positively impact many. I will keep you all in my prayers

Hello Tina and extended family.  My husband had the opportunity to work with Johnny in Japan years ago!  It became a small world when they both discovered that they had something in common!  That was me!  Johnny had many good co-workers and many people that enjoyed working with him.  Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.  Will see you at the Memorial Services!  Yes we are coming  along with another couple from Michigan that are very dear friends as well.  They worked with Johnny. One great guy too young to go!

The Waggoner Family,
Steve, Perri, Krista, & Brandon

Tina, I am so sorry to hear the news about Johnny. I always considered him a friend and enjoyed our times together. He was without question the best guy I have ever worked with and a true gentleman. I will miss him. God Bless you and the kids.

With sympathy, I am sorry to hear this. He and your whole family had a tough battle. I worked with Johnny at Ford.  Johnny was always a pleasure to be around.  His charisma and spirit was always bright and won't be forgotten.   May God bless you.

I was very sorry to hear about Johnny.  He was a great person and will be sadly missed in this community.  May God Bless you and your family during your time of loss.   

Lisa Hart

Our Deepest Sympathy for your loss.Peace be with your family and May God Bless your family.

Tony Stacy Family Greensburg In

Tina and Family,
Our hearts go out to you and your family.  The kindness that Johnny always showed to others will me missed by our community. May you feel the peace that god sends and may everyday be easier for you.

Tina and family; Johnny was always a pleasure to be with and to work with.  His supportive and caring nature was a joy to experience.  I am truly sorry for your loss.  Johnny will be missed.

It is with great sorry and a heavy heart that I receive the word of John's passing. John was an excellent engineer for me and I considered him a friend.  He was a fighter and fought tough battle.He will be missed
God bless his family in this difficult time
Bill Shillingford

Megan and Ryan

I remember how proud your dad was when he would drop you off at Nursery School. He loved you very much. My thoughts are with you, Jan Showalter

If we all can live our lives like Johnny did, the world would be a much better place.  To put it simply, he made a difference and leaves a legacy we should all strive for.

So sorry for your loss  Johnny will be greatly missed   All our prayers for you and your family     Charles & Donna Paxton   Laura and Colin

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this most difficult time in the loss of Johnny.

My condolences and prayers are with each and every one of the Welborn family.
I will keep you in my prayers.
I have had the honor of knowing Joel and his family, and I am thinking of you Joel in the  loss of your brother.
Sally Ann Blakley Noble

To the Entire Welborn Family:
Johnny left a thumbprint on everyone's hearts, as you can read by so many submitted entries.  We know that you will cherish many fond memories with him. Please know that we have been blessed to have witnessed the character of this selfless man.  We extend our deepest sympathy to you all.....

Tina & Kids - We love you so much and already miss Gus:)  I know he had been a positive influence to not only us, but everyone he met or helped.  If you ever need us, call us. Rick & Jill

So sorry for your loss. Johnny's smile and great attitude will always be remembered. Bill Hartman (Brookville,IN)

Dear Welborn family, Johnny was a good friend and co-worker. He was well respected in both the work place and in public. I am so greatful for having the opportunity to work with and to get to know him so well. He will be truely missed by everyone. Our deepest sympathy for your loss.

Wally and Eldona Workman

You guys are in our thoughts and prayers. I worked with Johnny at Ford for a number of years. I always enjoyed his company, leadership and ability to teach and learn. Johnny was always positive and happy. He will be missed!



On Sunday afternoon I stopped in College Corner to take photos of State Line Street for my daughter Jenny's art project for a Miami class.  I saw Jason Bantz standing in the rain talking on his cell phone in front of the Post Office parking lot.  He crossed the street to The Junction and I stood in the rain as well and waited for him to finish.  He said a prayer with someone on the phone named Megan and ended the call.  He turned to me and said “Johnny Welborn died, he was 51...did you know him?”.


In 1971 my Dad bought a dairy farm and moved our family from Seven Mile to College Corner.  I was in the eighth grade at Seven Mile Elementary at that time and was torn from the only world I knew and the friends I had thought I would see forever.  The two towns were only thirty miles apart but it felt like it was a thousand.

Adjusting to life at College Corner school was a difficult transition.  There were kids at the school who were nice and others who were not very kind to newcomers.

Johnny Welborn was different from the other kids I met.  He was already self assured and he seemed to sense that I was a stranger in a new world and could use a friend.  He was willing to step outside of his tight circle of friends and lifelong classmates and befriend someone he did not know.  He was easy to talk to and seemed genuinely concerned about others.  Johnny was thin yet athletic and wiry.  There was a 6 inch round vertical steel post in the school gymnasium, Johnny would wrap one arm around the post and push on the post with the other.  He could stretch his entire body out perfectly perpendicular to the pole.  It was an amazing feat to watch and one he could repeat at the drop of a hat.
  We talked off and on during that trying year in eighth grade at College Corner.  He earned both my trust and respect in that time.  Johnny's calm steady demeanor and gentle yet unyielding moral fortitude were becoming evident even then.

As classmates at Union County High School I saw Johnny, an unassuming young freshman, develop into a respected and confident leader.  Johnny saw clearly the path a man's life should follow and he walked down it with good humor yet unflinching commitment.  When he shook your hand he looked at you with the seriousness and mettle of a veteran Marine, then he would crack a big smile, slap you on the back...laugh and ask you how were you doing.   He was honest, steadfast, decent and a man of great character.  Those qualities shone through to everyone that met him.  

After we graduated our lives diverged.  I would hear from family and friends the bits and pieces of Johnny's life as it rolled into the next few years that flowed into decades.  He married his high school sweetheart, Tina Martin, whose family lived just the down the road from our farm in College Corner.  Heard he graduated from college and secured a job as an Engineer and started a family.  When he and Tina built a house on Route 101 I would drive by on the way to the house my parents retired to just to have a look.  I thought about stopping in to say hi...always had too much to do though, and my life had taken some wrong turns and it was hard to talk to someone whom I respected and hoped for the same respect from him.

When my life began to come together, many years after Johnny and I graduated, my wife and I moved to Oxford to be near my parents, children and grandchildren.  When I heard he was ill I determined to see him and hoped to lift his spirits as he had lifted mine so many years ago.  I called him and we talked for a while and arranged to have lunch.  I stopped at his home on 101 and he showed me around the house I had only seen from the outside.  He was gaunt and pale though still walked with the stride of an athlete.  He talked about the layout of the house and the decision to build the rooms in a particular manner.  His engineering skills came in handy.  With pride in his voice he showed me the pictures of his family that hung on the wall and “introduced�� me to each of them with a short biography.  He graciously took up the conversation were we left off long ago.  As if he had seen me every day for those thirty years past.

We stopped at the Golden Finch in Brookville, at the time he was not up to long trips.  We talked about our families and our concern for the world they live in today and how he had tried to instill his own values in them.  He gave me all the details of the chemo in a matter of fact monologue.  He never complained, not even once, he approached the disease as intellectually as possible. We both laughed as he ordered the fish baked not fried and I did the same.  His disciplined lifestyle was still intact.  On the drive back to his home he expressed his great concern for his family and how they would manage.   He never asked why this happened to him, he never asked me to say a prayer for him.  He wanted not for sympathy.  Johnny made courage feel natural and effortless as the breeze in the trees.  His deep inner strength was inspiring.   You would not know anything was wrong with him.  I dropped him off at the brick ranch house on 101 he had built for his family.  I cried most of the drive home.

We talked with each other at the Presbyterian Church over the summer, he was looking better and I had heard the treatments were helping.  The salve of a well intentioned doctor perhaps.  We saw each other again at a restaurant in Oxford where he was meeting with his lifelong friend Mike Murray.

When I found out Johnny was released from the hospital in December to return home I did not understand the reason why and had to ask someone from the church what had happened.  The reason jarringly crystallized on Sunday afternoon while I stood in the rain in front of The Junction.  I am 51, and I was lucky to have known Johnny Welborn.


Johnny developed long lasting friendships with many people in the community and with people far from his home.  He affected everyone he met. That will remain a standing testament to the way in which he lived and loved life. 


Johnny Welborn was a man by which other men measured themselves.



“Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”


God Bless You Johnny

Dear Welborn family,
I'm so sorry to hear that Johnny is gone he was a fine man.
You are all in my prayers

Your family has our deep sympathy and prayers.  Johnny lived in a way that will leave many good memories and stepping stones for everyone whose lives he touched.  We have the comfort of knowing we will see him again in that peaceful place where there will be singing and rejoicing. May God bless and comfort you. - Harold and Phyllis Sizelove

Tina & family....so sorry to hear about Johnny.  I have many wonderful memories of Johnny in high school.  Our small, close-knit group of friends created a bond that lasted a lifetime.  I will always remember Johnny as a happy, positive, determined person who was always ready to face whatever was ahead of him.  He was an inspiration to many.  Sending love & prayers your way.

Tina and family,I'm so sorry for your loss.I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

Johnny was always a great, honest friend, one of the most sincere people I had the pleasure to meet.  I am glad I had the pleasure to meet and work with him in Connersville and later.

Tina and family,
There isn't enough space here to express what Johnny meant to our community.  He touched many lives in a short time and my family is grateful for having known Johnny.

Tina, my thoughts and prayers are with your family.  He was too young to have battled such a fight.  May god bless you with many good memories as you move forward.

To Johnny's whole family:
    That great smile will be missed at family reunions.  How he lived life to the fullest and had so much fun.  We are blessed to know that he lives on and we will be reunited one day.

Dear Welborn family, it was an honor to know Johnny for ~19 years working with Ford/Visteon/Sensus.  He was an outstanding Engineer who pushed us up-north folk to become better designers through his practical and straightforward style.  He was a confident, very intelligent, and most importantly an extremely kind person.  Johnny will be greatly missed.

To The Family of Johhny Welborn- My connection with Johnny was through his service on the school board. He was thoughtful and insightful. He had a sense of humor and humility. I am sorry to learn of his passing.

Uncle Jerry, Aunt Jane, Tina and family, We are sorry to hear the news of the loss of Johnny.  Hold on tight to the memories and may God wrap his loving arms around you during the time and comfort you.

Welborn Family, Our Deepest Sympathy for your loss. Johnny was a extremely caring, friendly and thoughtful person. We have many Memories of him we will have to keep, share and cherish. Your all in our thoughts and prayers.
           
Marvin,Pam,Brad,Samantha&Braydn Buckler

We have all lost a great person, a community leader and a special friend.  May God Bless your family.
Duane Hertel
Liberty, Indiana

Mrs. Welborn and family: I was saddened to learn of John's passing. I worked with him at Visteon in Connersville. He was a conscientious worker, and a kind, considerate person. He will be missed. Please accept my condolences. Dave Hartwig (retired Visteon electrician)

I knew Johnny through a working relationship at the Ford/Visteon plant in Connersville. He was always a kind gentle person to work with. My condolences to his family.

I am so sorry to hear of your loss.  I know that he will be missed tremendously.  Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

There is no doubt that Johnny will be greatly missed by his family and friends here on earth.  We know that you can definitely take comfort in knowing that he was welcomed with open arms at the gates of heaven and that he is experiencing no more pain.  As a co-worker at Sensus, I witnessed his determined and caring spirit and extend to you my deepest sympathy.

Dear Welborn Family;  It was an honor to have been a friend and co-worker with Johnny for the past 14 years.  He was an incredible engineer and a true friend.  I don't have the words to express the quality of person Johnny was, or how he will be missed.  I can only say, I'm so fortunate he allowed me to be his friend. Johnny stopped in Connersville about a month ago, for nearly 2 hours, we talked about family, and laughed about our time at Viseon.  I will treasure that time we had. You have my deepest sympathy.

We are very sorry for your loss.  I know it is hard to lose someone so young and dear to you. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. You have our deepest sympathy.

To the Welborn family: Johnny, without a doubt was one of the finest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and calling a friend. More importantly, he considered me a friend  as well. He will most certainly be missed, however his memory and the positive mark he made on everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him will last forever.

Johnny was like a brother to me. Growing up together, we shared a lot of the same interests and that continued through out the years. He was a dedicated husband and father. He was committed to his work in the community, either coaching a youth league team, mentoring students in Union County Schools, volunteering at HS sporting events or serving on the UCCCJSD School Board. I have lost a truly great friend. He will be missed but he will never be forgotten. Tina and family, you can be proud of the person that Johnny was.

Dear Welborn Family, I'm greatful to have had the chance to work with Johnny at the Visteon plant. I can truly tell you he was one of a kind. Not many people can leave a lasting impression as he did. So glad to have the chance to be part of his journey. God Bless you all, thoughts and prayers are with you.

Jerry & Jane, Joel, Jimmy, Jay & Jill, Tina & family...

 Our deepest sympathy to all of you..so sorry to hear about Johnny.  I have alot of great memories of  the times that we all got together when we were kids..I am so happy that I ran into him at the Brookville Bicentennial a few years ago!  We shared a few laughs...   Sending love from the Lohrey family...Micki (Lohrey) Strohmier

Although I had not talked to Johnny in a long time, I always liked working with him and enjoyed his company. He was a truly great guy and will be missed.

The Visteon Coclisa family (Juarez, Mexico) regrets the passing of a good friend to the Plants.  Johnny visited and assisted (primarily) with establishing the Compressor lines at Chamizal.  We remember him well and fondly.  Our sympathies to his family during this time.

The Welborn Family: Johnny was a great friend. But more than that he was an honorable and well respected person both professionally and in and around the community. I am grateful I had the pleasure of working with him for nearly 15 years of my professinal career. Please accept our deepest sympathy for the loss of your husband and father. The world has truely lost a great person.

Roger & Linda Stiver (Knoxville TN)

Johnny was one of the sweetest people I had ever met. Although our paths did not cross often, it was always a pleasure to see him when he was in the plant.  Johnny's love for you, Tina, your children, and that special grandbaby was obvious to all.  I am so sorry for your loss. Heaven has surely gained a special angel.  May God bless your family immensely during this time.

The Welborn Family:  Johnny was an honorable and well respected man. I am grateful to have worked with him for nearly 15 years of my professional career. The world has truely lost a great person. Linda and I are so sorry for your loss.We send our sincere condolences. Roger and Linda Stiver - Knoxville TN

So sorry for your loss. Johnny was a great guy that loved to talk about family and friends. He was certainly a pleasure to know and to work with. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Rickie Chyle, SensusPDC

GOD BLESS THE WELBORN FAMILY.JOHNNY WAS MY FRIEND.

Johnny Welborn was my friend. He was a professional who took pride in his work but was able to keep his job in perspective. It was obvious in talking with Johnny that his faith and his family were his true priorities. Johnny put up a terrific fight against a terrible disease. Although he ultimately lost his battle, he left this world surrounded by the love of his family and he takes that love with him.

Lonn and Pamela Sorrell

Russ, Missy, Reese, Mattea and Reiland.

Johnny was my freind and Mentor. He gave me a lot of advice over the past years. His wisdom, knowledge, and freindship will be something I will cherish.

My heart felt prayers to Tina and the Kids.

Tina, Katie, Jermey, Megan, and Ryan, I am so sorry for your loss.  Johnny was a specail person and I enjoyed so many fun times with him and the rest of his family.  He will be truly missed.  

Jeannine and Jack

We are truly sorry for your loss. Johnny had many friends and will not be forgotten  . Your family will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers. Please let us know if there is anything we can do. 
Regards, 
Charlie & Angie Cunningham

Mrs. Welborn and Sons:

Johnny was a great friend of mine, he also left good friends here in Mexico -You have my sincere condolences on the loss of your husband.

Sincerely

Jorge Avila (Cd. Juarez, Mexico)

Very sorry for your loss. Johnny was a great man and I enjoyed getting to know you and your family as neighbors when I lived next door to you..May you find peace and bless you and your family

Johnny was one of my favorite people here at Sensus.  He always made me smile with his wonderful attitude and stories of his family, especially when he brought pictures of that beautiful grandbaby.  He will be greatly missed.  Keeping you all in my prayers.

OBITUARY

Johnny Keith Welborn

11 June, 1960 – 4 December, 2011

Showalter Blackwell Long Funeral Home

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