Forrest Oliver Johnson

Forrest “Butch” Johnson, age 78, passed away peacefully in his North Myrtle Beach, SC home on Friday September 27, 2024. He was born on August 27, 1946 in Kewanee, Il to Oliver and Hazel Johnson. After the passing of his father as an infant, his mother remarried John Spiegel who raised him to a young adult. He was a 1964 graduate of Wethersfield High School in Kewanee, IL and attended Rockford School of Business and Engineering in Rockford, IL.

In 1967 he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was an accomplished mechanic on large transport aircraft. He was stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey working on C-130, C-141, and C-5 aircraft for Air Mobility Command during the Vietnam Era, serving with the 438th Field Maintenance Squadron. While serving at McGuire Air Force Base he met his future wife Suzanne ‘Sue’ Pabst through a mutual friend.

Butch and Sue Johnson were married on September 27, 1969 at St. Lukes Catholic Church, in Stroudsburg, PA. Their son Troy Johnson was born in 1970 and daughter Margo (Johnson) Arthur was born in 1972. After his discharge from the United States Air Force in 1971, Butch worked within the construction industry as a draftsman for Monroe Engineering and Griffin & Griffin Construction in PA. In the early 90’s he began his new career as a truck driver for Rollin Johnson Trucking in Stockertown, PA. Butch and Sue later moved to Talladega, AL in 1998 where he began working at Honeywell Aerospace in Anniston, AL as an aerospace mechanic until his retirement in 2013. He later moved to North Myrtle Beach, SC to be with his family.

Butch was widowed after the passing of his wife Sue in 1999. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law Karen and John Whisker of Orion, IL; Ruth Spiegel of Geneseo, IL; brother-in-law John and Cecilla Pabst of Langhorne, PA, son and daughter-in-law Troy and Cynthia Johnson of Ocean Isle Beach, NC; daughter and son-in-law Margo and Dan Arthur of North Myrtle Beach, SC; granddaughter Reilly Johnson of Camp Hill, PA; grandson Brenden Johnson of Ocean Isle Beach, NC; nephew Jason Schneblin of Alpha, IL; niece Jennifer Cascarelli of Little River, SC; niece Keri Barr of Kalispell, MT; niece Laci Kerlin of Cambridge, IL; and (7) great-nephews.

At this time there are no planned services. The family will be notified when future plans are made to return him to PA to be with his wife Sue.

“Time to come home dear brother

Your tour of duty through

You’ve given as much as anyone

Could be expected to do”

“So take you place of honor

Among those who have gone before

And know you will be remembered

For now and evermore”

-Robert Longley