Johnson, Donald W., DVM, PhD. Age 89, of Green Valley, AZ, passed away on April 4, 2019. He was born May 4, 1929 to Earl and Mae (Christensen) Johnson in Wor thington, MN. He married Rose Marian Nolte in 1950, earned his DVM in 1953 from the U of MN, and served for two years in the USAF in Germany during the Korean Conflict until 1955. He then returned to the U of MN Veterinary College and trained senior vet students in a large animal practice based in Maple Plain, MN, while completing his own PhD in immunology and microbiology (1963), remaining active in his church, and adopting his two children, Scott and Heather. In 1967 he moved to the University of Missouri Vet School and returned to the U of MN in 1969 as a full professor. In 1981 he became the team leader for the MN Project, a USAID program in Rabat Morocco, which supported L'Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan-II. The project helped over 50 students receive advanced training in the US and graduate degrees from IAV. A two year contract became a 23 year adventure, extending after his retirement from the U, including the creation of a startup chicken vaccine business. While in Morocco, he helped reestablish the Village of Hope orphanage in Ain Leuh. He returned to MN in 2004, at first snowbirding to AZ, before settling there year-round as dementia slowly extended its grasp before finally taking him away. He is survived by his wife, his two children and their partners, grandchildren, great grandchildren, his sister Donna (and her husband), along with cousins, nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Redeemer in Arden Hills at 2:00 on June 8, 2019. Memorials will be donated to the educational fund for the children of the Village of Hope and the Vet School at the U of MN.
Donald W. Johnson, DVM, PhD.
Church of the Redeemer, 3245 New Brighton Rd., Arden Hills, MN
2:00 PM, Saturday June 8th, 2019
A memorial service for Donald W. Johnson will be held at the Church of the Redeemer at 2:00 on June 8, 2019. The address of the church is 3245 New Brighton Rd., Arden Hills, MN 55112. The church sanctuary is 3/4 mile east of I-35W and County Road D, adjacent to Hazelnut Park on New Brighton Rd. You may park in the parking lot located on the north side of the church and enter the sanctuary on the northeast corner of the building. A reception, with his favorite cookies and coffee, will be held after the service.
Village of Hope
In 1997, Don helped reestablish the Village of Hope orphanage in Ain Leuh, Morocco. While the state took over the operation of the orphanage in 2010, the VOH organization remains in contact with the children and continues to support their education. In lieu of flowers, if people would like to make memorial donations, you may send checks to Compassion Corps, PO Box 103, Chester Heights PA 19017; and Please include a note specifying Village of Hope.
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