He was born on Monday, January 4, 1937, in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of Charles E. and Toni Whaley Johnson Sr. Charles wrestled in high school and lettered in wrestling at Purdue University where he also received the distinguished athlete award in 1957. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and he did post graduate studies in Statistics and Probability at Ball State University. Charles was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He was a member of the Muncie Sky Chiefs RC Club and loved radio controlled model airplanes, golfing and bowling. Charles was also a member of Friends Church, Lifelong Learners, Sertoma Club of Muncie, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honorary. In 1985, he received the Arch T. Cowell Merit Award for one of the outstanding technical papers for that year, discussing the Inertia Effects on Gear Rattle.
Survivors include his wife, Marcia Johnson, Muncie, Indiana; two children, David Johnson, Prior Lake, Minnesota, and Stacy (husband, Joe Tipton) Johnson, Georgia; one grandson, David Charles (wife, Katie) Johnson, Hastings, Minnesota; three great-grandchildren, Parker, Eli, and Charlie Johnson; three siblings, Ann Johnson, Jeff Johnson, and Mary Johnson Reardon, and two cousins, Bill McClure and Janet McClure McDonald.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
A memorial service to honor Charles’ life will take place at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, in Elm Ridge Funeral Home, 4600 West Kilgore Avenue, Muncie, Indiana, 47304. Inurnment will follow in Elm Ridge Memorial Park Mausoleum.
Family and friends may call from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Elm Ridge Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the following:
The Charles Ellis Johnson Jr. Scholarship, which the family has established at Purdue University in honor of Charles. Individuals wishing to contribute to this scholarship fund may send checks payable to “Purdue Foundation” and mail them to the attention of Jacob Griffin at 403 W. Wood St., West Lafayette, IN 47907. Please reference the Charles Ellis Johnson Jr. Scholarship in your correspondence.
Alzheimer’s Association. You can donate directly to Charles’ tribute page set up at this organization at http://act.alz.org/goto/CharlesJohnsonTribute . Or you can send a check payable to the “Alzheimer’s Association” to Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.
Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.elmridgefuneralhome.com. Other condolences may be directed to Marcia, Stacy and David Johnson c/o Stacy Johnson at 139 Black Bear Point, 12220 Big Canoe, Jasper, Georgia 30143.
DONATIONS
Charles Ellis Johnson Jr. ScholarshipPayable to: "Purdue Foundation", Attn: Jacob Griffin, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
Alzheimer's AssociationP.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011
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