OBITS: The Spectrum 27 Aug 2005; St. George, Washington co., Utah

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Source: St. George The Spectrum http://www.thespectrum.com

Blaine Hart Johnson

ST. GEORGE - Blaine Hart Johnson, born oldest of 11 children to William Marcus
and Myrtle Hardy Johnson in Spanish Fork, Utah, died Monday, August 22, 2005,
at home in St. George, Utah.

He attended Brigham Young University, graduating with honors in 1939.

Military service along with five brothers, began in 1941. As a captain in the
army, Blaine served as company commander of a Tank Destroyer Company for 28
months of combat assignments in the South Pacific, earning a Purple Heart and
the Bronze Star.

Five months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Blaine talked Loa Mathews into
getting married. He had to go AWOL to accomplish that, besides tricking her
into the proposition. After 3 months together, he left for overseas and didn't
return for 38-1/2 months.

Upon discharge from the service he attended Columbia University, earning a
Master of Arts degree. He later returned to Columbia, finishing his Doctorate
with four children in tow.

In 1948 Blaine began his teaching career at Dixie College. He served there for
two years and then was called back to military service in Korea. While in
Korea, he received a military award for extraordinary heroism. In the meantime
they had born to them two children: Nancy Claire and Blaine, better known as
"Fella". Later came three more, Sybil D., Bruce, and Nathan. Sybil D. died of
leukemia from atomic fallout when she was 12 years old.

Beginning in 1951 service at BAC, CSU, SUSC began and was like "Christmas
every day".

It truly was fun. With Roy Halverson, he produced a prodigious amount of major
musical works, including the operas Cavaleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, The
Student Prince, The New Moon, La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Carmen (3 times),
Rigoletto (3 times), Faust, the Requiems of Verdi, Faure, and Mozart,
incidental works of Bach and Mozart, plus a performance of "Messiah" every
year for 30 years. All these works were done in cooperation with the community
of Cedar City. These works were considered more appropriate for educational
purposes than for the world of entertainment.

Blaine served on the State Board of Education for two years, and adjudicated
music festivals in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Idaho.

During his stay in Cedar City, Blaine served in numerous LDS Church callings,
including Bishop of the Cedar Eighth Ward.

Blaine retired in 1980. He and his wife, Loa, served a mission in Florida and
have served as ordinance workers and he as a sealer in the St. George Temple.

Their children are Nancy and William Silvester, Blaine and Cheryl Stubbs
Johnson, Sybil Deseret Johnson, Bruce and Karen Morris Johnson, and Nathan and
Martha Cannon Johnson. They have 19 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.

It has been a great ride!

Funeral services will be Saturday, August 27, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. at the
Morningside LDS Chapel, 881 S. River Rd., St. George. Friends may call Friday,
August 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Spilsbury Mortuary and again on Saturday
from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to services, at the Chapel. Graveside services
will be held Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the Cedar City Cemetery. Arrangements
are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St.
George, 673-2454.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the Blaine H.
Johnson Vocal Scholarship, or the Loa M. Johnson Piano Scholarship at SUU, 351
W. University Blvd., Attn. Lori Blackner, Cedar City, UT 84720.

Friends and family are invited to offer their condolences at
www.spilsburymortuary.com.

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Originally published August 27, 2005