Dick Johnson is gone.

I first met Dick in 1992 at Cado Mills, when I was commuting from Berkeley
to the SSC every other week. This icon of soaring made me feel at home.
What a nice guy and a gentleman besides. This is a tremendous loss to
soaring. My condolences to Alice and the rest of his family.

I am so sorry,

Mike Green


At 19:39 23 July 2008, Burt Compton - Marfa wrote:
July 23, 2008

I just received a telephone call from a reliable source that Dick
Johnson has crashed at the combined World Class / 1-26 Nationals at
Midlothian, Texas (south of Dallas). He was flying as sniffer.

Apparently he dove-in after release from tow. My source reports that
Dick has perished in the crash.

I am stunned. Nothing to speculate about now -- he is just gone.
So God Bless Alice his wife, and his family. Alice lost their son
Nels many years ago in a hang-glider accident.

Mr. Johnson was a mentor to us all, world-wide soaring legend, and a
dear friend of my family.

Burt Compton
Marfa, Texas
USA

All,

I just received the following email with some news about a memorial
for Dick. Hell of an interesting and gifted person. He will truly be
missed from our soaring community. There is also another RAS thread
for a blog for people to add rememberances at http://ssa.org/myhome.asp?mbr=8022257685.

===========
On Fri, 7/25/08, wrote:

This email is being sent to everyone in Dick Johnson's address book in
hopes of reaching as many of his friends as quickly as possible. As
you know Dick Johnson loved few thing better than flying his
sailplane. He went flying this Wednesday and he was killed when his
sailplane went down shortly after takeoff. We think the reason for the
crash was probably not an aircraft failure but rather a medical event
of some sort.

A memorial service will be held 3:30pm Tuesday July 29, at Restland
Funeral Home in Richardson. The address is 9220 Restland Rd at
Greenville Ave. 75080. Phone number is 972-238-7111.
http://www.restlandfuneralhome.com/directions.php

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be sent to:

MSU Foundation, Raspet Lab
In Memory of Dick Johnson
P.O. Box 6149
Mississippi State, MS 39762

http://www.msufoundation.com/

If the above address seems unusual to you, we checked it and that's
the way they address things for that institution.

Regards,
The Johnson Family

Some one of us out there, please take this opportunity to write a
biography of Dick.

Having grown up with David and Dick as my soaring mentors since a teen
40 years ago. I wish I had written down more of those interactions and
lessons of life.

We did interview and record Dick's contemporaries like John Robinson
and Vic Saudec. Maybe I am like many of you, who thought Mr. Soaring
Technology would just be there forever. In our thoughts and hearts,
perhaps he can be.

So thankful to have known this family.

Michael Henderson

Some one of us out there, please take this opportunity to write a
biography of Dick.

Having grown up with David and Dick as my soaring mentors since a teen
40 years ago. I wish I had written down more of those interactions and
lessons of life.

We did interview and record Dick's contemporaries like John Robinson
and Vic Saudec. Maybe I am like many of you, who thought Mr. Soaring
Technology would just be there forever. In our thoughts and hearts,
perhaps he can be.

So thankful to have known this family.

Michael Henderson