NWA Capt. Claud Leslie Johnson

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

NWA Capt. Claud Leslie Johnson

January 24, 1925 ~ April 8, 2023

 

From the Northwest Airlines Pilots group/rnpa-forum site……………..

NWA Captain Claud 'Les' Johnson, age 98, died on April 8, 2023 in

Lindstrom, MN. Les was born in Taylor's Falls, MN in 1925 and grew up in

Shafer, Minnesota where he was the youngest of five children. During WWII

Les served as a Naval Aviator and after the war was hired by NWA on July 11,

1949. His extensive range of aircraft flown at NWA will be covered in his

forthcoming RNPA obituary.

  

I had the pleasure of flying with Les on the DC-10 early upon its arrival on

property at NWA. Trips with Les remain some of my best NWA flying memories.

Les went onto fly the 747 Classic and I believe flew as Second Officer on

the 747 Classic after his age 60 Captain mandatory retirement.  

Les was laid to rest on April 15, 2023 in Lindstrom, MN.

Our colleague was truly a gentlemen's gentleman.  

Bill Day

 

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/claud-johnson-obituary?id=51609477 

Claud Leslie (Les) Johnson died at the age of 98.

He was born in 1925 and was from Shafer. He attended Chi-Hi high school and served in the Navy. Les worked for Northwest Airlines.

Les is survived by his sons Steve and Daniel Johnson, his daughters Susan Ewert and Jennifer Munger. Preceding him in death were his wife Lillian Bloom and son Gregory Johnson.

 

https://www.grandstrandfh.com/obituaries/Claud-Leslie-Les-Johnson?obId=27692324

Claud Leslie "Les" Johnson

January 24, 1925 - April 08, 2023

Claud Leslie (Les)Johnson was born in Taylor’s Falls in 1925 and grew up in Shafer, Minnesota

where he was the youngest of five children. He walked through a wooded lot to the Shafer

elementary school and later attended Chi-Hi where he played basketball and 6-man football. To

make ends meet during the Depression, Less family raised guinea pigs in their basement and

would sell the ‘pigs’ to the University of Minnesota.

Les fell in love with Lillian Bloom when he heard her sing with the Junior Mission Band of Center

City Lutheran Church. Les saw stars when Lillian sat next to him in the back seat of the bus going

to High School basketball games. Les’ mom rode in the front of the same bus, as a chaperone.

During World War II, Les enlisted in the Navy and he loved it. He appreciated the structure and

three square meals a day. It was where Les learned to fly airplanes, following in the footsteps of

his older brother, Darrel But Les experienced tragedy,when Darrell was killed while serving on

an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

In 1945 near the end of the war, while Les was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, Lillian took the

train from Minnesota to visit Les. They got married with three people in attendance in addition to

the pastor and his wife, who played the organ. Les was under-age and had to call his mother in

Shafer to get permission to get married, which was enthusiastically granted.

Sorrow struck again when Les and Lil’s first child was born with Down’s syndrome. But Gregory

Brought joy to their hearts with his affectionate nature and his energetic dancing. Gregory turned

heads with his robust singing of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

Les and Lil went on to have four more children, 13 grand-children, and over 20 greatgrandchildren and great-great grandchildren, with more on the way.

After the war Les continued flying, doing some crop dusting in Montana. In 1950 Les signed on

with Northwest Airlines. In those early days, Les was laid off every winter when the airline

suspended operation. One of Les’ early flights was to Tokyo, Japan. Les would fly a DC-4 with

three stops for re-fueling. The stops were Edmonton, Anchorage, and Shimya, an Aleutian island.

In his later career, he flew747s to Tokyo and beyond.

Les took a temporary position flying for Olympic airlines and lived with Lil and the youngest

children for a short time in Athens, Greece. In 1975, Les’ flying career was interrupted when he

had a stroke while flying a plane home from Chicago. Eventually, Les was able to rejoin the airline

when he recovered from the stroke.

After retirement, Les bought an Aeronca airplane that had two seats and a top speed of 80 mph.

Les kept it at the airport in Osceola, Wisconsin.

Les was preceded in death by his parents and four siblings, his wife Lillian, and son, Gregory. He is

survived by son, Steve (wife Jerri),son Daniel (wife, Susan), daughter Susan Ewert(husband

James), and daughter Jennifer Munger (husband, Scott).

Les has always had a strong faith and has trusted in the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Because of his faith in Christ, he has always been active in church activities and loved to study the

Bible. Les has entered into the arms of Jesus.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can in memory of Les Johnson to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862