Cecil Johnson

Dr. Cecil R. Johnson - Retired Veterinarian Dr. Cecil R. Johnson, 91, of Decatur, Illinois passed away Sunday evening, August 4, 2013, at Decatur Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 8, 2013, at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur, Illinois. Visitation will be one hour prior to services. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Decatur, Illinois. Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Decatur and Macon County, Homeward Bound Pet Shelter, or to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Decatur, Illinois. Dr. Johnson was born August 12, 1921, in Pekin, Illinois, the second of five sons born to Hillie and Remeta (Wubben) Johnson. He graduated from Pekin Community High School, fulfilled service to his country as a U.S. Navy Submariner stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, until his discharge in November, 1945, and then worked his way through college at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. While there, he met and married the love of his life, June Walkington on September 10, 1949. As an official member of the very first graduating class of the University of Illinois' newly created College of Veterinary Medicine, Cecil became a certified veterinarian in the summer of 1952. He and June then moved to Blue Mound, Illinois, where together they set up their practice; and he soon became known as the premier large animal vet for the greater Blue Mound/Decatur area. Throughout his 40 year career, he and June were well known, highly respected and greatly loved by the many members of their town and surrounding farm community. After moving to Decatur during later retirement years, they were further blessed with many more good friends, neighbors and a cherished church family. Though Dr. Johnson loved all animals, horses were truly his designated passion. And through the years he and June still held close to their hearts memories of their own sweet dogs, Bo and Bonnie, and a very special race horse by the name of Frisco Flirt. When June passed away in January of 2010, they had been loving partners for over 60 years. In addition to June, Dr. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents, older brother Hilton Johnson, sisters-in-law Pauline, Barbara, Josephine and Agnes Johnson and niece Peggy (Johnson) Hinman. Surviving are his brothers Ray (Joliet, Illinois), Lester (The Villages, Florida) and Bob Johnson (Pekin, Illinois), devoted cousin Shirley Corum (Bob/Tolono, Illinois), nieces, nephews and a wealth of caring friends. A general consensus among family is that Cecil/"Uncle Johnny" brought a sense of integrity and intelligence to everything he said and did; and he left us all with feelings of great gratitude and pride. "
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