Cowlitz County WA Archives Obituaries.....Johnston,  Clinton "Red" 	 January 22, 2006
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P. J. Stepp steppmom5@hotmail.com June 2, 2006, 10:09 pm

Published in The Daily News on 2/17/2006.    www.tdn.com
Clinton "Red" Johnston was born on January 22, 1918 in Norfolk, VA and passed 
away on February 11, 2006 in Longview, WA at home with family. 

He was the only son of Benny and Deborah Johnston also of Longview, one of five 
children. A graduate of RA Long High school, Clinton married Francis Katherine 
McDougall in 1939. Clinton enlisted in the Air Force during World War II and 
was stationed at Peterson Field in Colorado Springs, CO. After the war, Clinton 
returned to Longview where he worked as a millwright/blacksmith at Weyerhaeuser 
until he retired after 30 years. During those years in Longview, "Red", a 
golden gloves champion and professional boxer, co-founded the YMCA Boxing 
program and started the Longview-Kelso Boxing Club. He was also a member of the 
Cowlitz County Saddle Club, Knights of Columbus, and St. Rose Catholic church. 
After retiring, he became a missionary to help spread the word of The Lord 
while living in Hawaii, Singapore, the Philippines, China, and Western Samoa. 
During his spiritual journey "Red" continued to remain physically fit. While in 
Samoa, at the age of 65 he continued his passion of boxing with a final 
exhibition match against then current Samoan Olympic Silver Medalist. He later 
moved to Guam where he took up the sport of windsurfing and became an 
instructor on Tumon Bay. At age 79, "Red" hung up his windsurfing sail and 
returned to Longview to fight a courageous battle against Alzheimer's with the 
loving care of his family. "Red" was a loving, caring, and generous man whose 
compassion touched the heart and lives of everyone he met. 

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Debby and Bill Merz; foster 
daughter, Carol Hubbell; granddaughter, Jalynn Merz; grandson and spouse, Shawn 
and Tina Merz; and great-grand child, Jansi Rae Merz. We will miss him very 
much and find comfort knowing he is doing his fancy footwork, shadow boxing, 
and one-arm pushups in Heaven. 

There will be a private family service. Memorial contributions can be made to 
Community Home Health & Hospice. 

	


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