RETIREES … Mr. Douglas George Johnson and Mrs. Donna Jean (Badenhop) Johnson, 2023, enjoying the beginning of their full-time retirement together. (PHOTO BY ANNA WOZNIAK / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
By: Anna Wozniak
Two years after Donna Jean Badenhop started attending Liberty Center High School in 1956, she entertained a wild idea introduced by her fellow bandmate and cousin: why not date the saxophone player who lived eight miles down the road?
This idea spurred a string of dates, and soon the daughter of Herbert and Lydia (Kruse) Badenhop, of Wauseon, and the son of George and Virgina (Teeters) Douglas, of Liberty Center, were married in 1962.
Doug and Donna met after Donna left St. Luke’s Parochial School for Liberty Center High School, where Doug had been a student since first grade.
Their early married life was hard, with Doug pursuing his degree in education, with focuses in biology and physical education, while Donna raised their first daughter, Denyse -who was born during Doug’s senior year- 1963 – in Bowling Green Ohio.
After his graduation in 1964, Mr. Johnson became a biology teacher at Toledo Bowsher High School that January, staying for four and a half years.
It was during this tenure that he was able to get his Masters from the University of Toledo, along with his administrative / superintendent certificate, as well as welcomed the birth of his and Donna’s second daughter -Dawn- who was born in 1965 in Toledo.
Of this time in their lives, Doug fondly remembers that they “lived pretty good,” and “didn’t lack, even though we were by no means well-off.”
In 1968, Mr. Johnson went to work for Pioneer Schools for two years, until he accepted a Bryan Schools position in 1970 that was closer to his and Donna’s Bryan home, where they had welcomed the birth of their last daughter, Dana, in 1969.
Mr. Johnson stayed at BHS until he accepted an open superintendent position at Fairview Central Local Schools, until his “retirement” in 1997.
Now that the children were out of the house, grown into adults (the Johnsons became grandparents in 1992), Donna served as the secretary to the Cafeteria Manager at Bryan Schools from 1975 – 1982, afterwards serving as secretary at Washington Elementary School -retiring from work in 1999 to spend time with her quilting, crocheting, and grandchildren.
Doug, in his now “retired” life, started to help manage Gorny-Wenzeler – which Doug fondly remembered as “the store to be at.”
When Sherwood Elementary School needed a principal in 2000, Mr. Johnson retired from his retirement to answer the call.
In 2002, Mr. Doug Johnson became City of Bryan Mayor Doug Johnson, a title he carried proudly until 2017.
Doug enjoys seeing all of those he has impacted throughout the years, and happily remembers the over 120 weddings he officiated as Mayor of the City of Bryan.
Of his time in office, Mayor Johnson recalled that he “has been very fortunate to work with good people, and I really think that can make or break you.”
Now that Mr. Johnson has reached the age of 80, he has decided it is time to truly retire, and recently announced to Bryan City Council that he is retiring from the Bryan City Planning and Zoning Board.
This does not mean he’s becoming stagnant, however, and you can catch him every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. until noon finding and giving joy in and to those, he runs into at the Bryan Parkview Medical Center.
Doug and Donna are also very involved with their grandchildren’s sports activities, and they both expressed that their greatest wish was that their health holds so that they may see their grandchildren grow up, most specifically to watch their youngest granddaughter, Addison, play basketball.
They can also be found supporting all the children of Bryan at various sports events, and proudly display all event dates in their garage to help keep them easily involved.
With six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and three grand-dogs, Doug and Donna may be retired – but, boy, are they still busy!
Anna can be reached at anna@thevillagereporter.com