Obituary for Tommy Johnson
Thomas (Tommy) Earl Johnson passed away on October 2, 2022, doing what he loved best, working on his classic cars.
Tommy was 74 years old.
He leaves behind a wife, Dee, his three girls, Stephanie Copeland (Monty), Kathryn Walker (Chris), Meagan Harris (Kevin), 10 grandchildren: Madison Besio, Kaitlin Besio, Colin Besio, Brandon Copeland, Amber Nothdurft, Heather Baker, Ryan Walker, Emma Walker, Kadie Harris and Keagan Harris, as well as his brothers Curt and Alan Johnson, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Lamoyne Johnson.
Tommy was born on August 12, 1948, in Bridgeport, Texas to Earl and Lamoyne (Thomas) Johnson. He grew up as a military brat, moving from one Air Force base to the next. A deep sense of service, duty and perhaps a bit of rebellion led him to the Marine Corps when he turned 19 years old. On December 22, 1968, Tommy married his high school sweetheart, Dee Lynn Gwaltney in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The football player and the cheerleader have been married nearly 54 years. The wedding took place shortly after Tommy finished bootcamp. Months later he would volunteer to take the place of a friend who was expecting a baby, and head to Vietnam. Tommy returned 13 months later.
Tommy and Dee would later move to Texas and start a family.
He spent his career working in the electric industry. He joined TP&L, which during his long career would become TXU Electric and finally Oncor. He retired, for good, while working with S & C Electric.
Tommy had a brilliant mechanical mind.
He spent the weekends working on his hot rods, restoring, and building classic cars, mostly for other people. Saturdays were filled with friends, car grease and Whataburger. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake his three little girls at night so they could hear one of his cars start up or to drag the entire family to endless car shows.
The roar of the engine and the smell of exhaust always brought a smile to his face.
Tommy was a stubborn perfectionist, a force within his family. He had a tough guy persona but don’t let that fool you. Tommy had a soft heart. He cried when you cried. He teared up every time the National Anthem played.
He once picked up a stranded friend of one of his daughters he had never met. He gave away a car to a young co-worker of one of his girls and then repaired it anytime there was an issue. He was never interested in the credit or attention. In fact, if he read this obituary he would ask those things to be removed.
He had a strong sense of right and wrong, and disliked anyone who disrespected his girls.
Like the cars he built, he did everything big. He loved big. He once crawled into a kid’s popup tunnel to chase a grandchild and then needed help getting out.
He told inappropriate stories in what he thought was a whisper but was more like a yell. He blamed grenades and jumping out of helicopters for his hearing loss, which got drastically better when he FINALLY got hearing aids, changing how his family communicated around him.
He talked of being buried in the backyard, sitting in his 68’ Camaro, requesting 60’s music playing on the radio, with the antenna sticking out of the ground. His family decided that was just weird.
Tommy will be interred at the DFW National Cemetery with military honors on October 12, 2022, at 10:00am. A memorial service will follow at Boze Mitchell McKibbin Funeral Home at 511 West Main Street, Waxahachie, Texas at 12:30pm.
If you happen to own a classic car, please honor Tommy by driving it to his memorial service. The parking lot across from the funeral home will be reserved for classic cars. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to ‘K9s for Warriors’ and ‘The Children’s Cancer Fund’.
Tommy was 74 years old.
He leaves behind a wife, Dee, his three girls, Stephanie Copeland (Monty), Kathryn Walker (Chris), Meagan Harris (Kevin), 10 grandchildren: Madison Besio, Kaitlin Besio, Colin Besio, Brandon Copeland, Amber Nothdurft, Heather Baker, Ryan Walker, Emma Walker, Kadie Harris and Keagan Harris, as well as his brothers Curt and Alan Johnson, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Lamoyne Johnson.
Tommy was born on August 12, 1948, in Bridgeport, Texas to Earl and Lamoyne (Thomas) Johnson. He grew up as a military brat, moving from one Air Force base to the next. A deep sense of service, duty and perhaps a bit of rebellion led him to the Marine Corps when he turned 19 years old. On December 22, 1968, Tommy married his high school sweetheart, Dee Lynn Gwaltney in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The football player and the cheerleader have been married nearly 54 years. The wedding took place shortly after Tommy finished bootcamp. Months later he would volunteer to take the place of a friend who was expecting a baby, and head to Vietnam. Tommy returned 13 months later.
Tommy and Dee would later move to Texas and start a family.
He spent his career working in the electric industry. He joined TP&L, which during his long career would become TXU Electric and finally Oncor. He retired, for good, while working with S & C Electric.
Tommy had a brilliant mechanical mind.
He spent the weekends working on his hot rods, restoring, and building classic cars, mostly for other people. Saturdays were filled with friends, car grease and Whataburger. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake his three little girls at night so they could hear one of his cars start up or to drag the entire family to endless car shows.
The roar of the engine and the smell of exhaust always brought a smile to his face.
Tommy was a stubborn perfectionist, a force within his family. He had a tough guy persona but don’t let that fool you. Tommy had a soft heart. He cried when you cried. He teared up every time the National Anthem played.
He once picked up a stranded friend of one of his daughters he had never met. He gave away a car to a young co-worker of one of his girls and then repaired it anytime there was an issue. He was never interested in the credit or attention. In fact, if he read this obituary he would ask those things to be removed.
He had a strong sense of right and wrong, and disliked anyone who disrespected his girls.
Like the cars he built, he did everything big. He loved big. He once crawled into a kid’s popup tunnel to chase a grandchild and then needed help getting out.
He told inappropriate stories in what he thought was a whisper but was more like a yell. He blamed grenades and jumping out of helicopters for his hearing loss, which got drastically better when he FINALLY got hearing aids, changing how his family communicated around him.
He talked of being buried in the backyard, sitting in his 68’ Camaro, requesting 60’s music playing on the radio, with the antenna sticking out of the ground. His family decided that was just weird.
Tommy will be interred at the DFW National Cemetery with military honors on October 12, 2022, at 10:00am. A memorial service will follow at Boze Mitchell McKibbin Funeral Home at 511 West Main Street, Waxahachie, Texas at 12:30pm.
If you happen to own a classic car, please honor Tommy by driving it to his memorial service. The parking lot across from the funeral home will be reserved for classic cars. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to ‘K9s for Warriors’ and ‘The Children’s Cancer Fund’.