Charles Hawkes Johnson

Charles Hawkes Johnson, beloved husband, father, fun Granchuck, Great Granchuck, and loyal friend passed away peacefully at home on June 26, 2024, surrounded by loving family members. Charlie will be remembered by all for his mischievous sense of humor, his kindness and compassion towards others, forever the gentleman and his commitment to caring for the relationships in his life. His childhood nickname of “Sunny” referred to his sweet disposition, which permeated all areas of his life. Charlie was born on February 17, 1933, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma to Edna and Roy Johnson. He spent most of his life in Bartlesville, attending Garfield Grade School, Central Junior High School, and College High School. Bartlesville is where Charlie raised his family, set up a dental practice of over forty years, and maintained important friendships and community relationships his entire life. Growing up, Charlie had one sister, Barbara Johnson Chitwood. Together, they built many lifelong friendships and created memories they reflected on often. Charlie graduated from College High School in 1951 and went on to attend the University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1955. After college, he set his goals on medicine and attended the University of Missouri at Kansas City and earned his D.D.S. Degree in 1958. While on a weekend trip with fellow University of Oklahoma classmates to Branson, Missouri, Charlie met Katherine Belle Alexander. Katherine (Kay) lived in Kansas City, Missouri. They began to date and were married June 7, 1958. Thirteen months later, Jennifer, the first of three daughters, was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Charlie joined the Army and moved to Ft. Benning, Georgia where he was a Commissioned Officer, 2nd lieutenant, in the U.S. Army Infantry and a Commissioned Officer, Captain, in U.S. Army Dental Corp. He practiced for two years at Martin Army Hospital in Ft. Benning, Georgia. During this time, their second daughter, Jamie, was born in 1962. Later in 1962, Charlie and Kay returned to Bartlesville to set up his dental practice where he practiced until 2000. Their third daughter, Jill, was born in Bartlesville in 1967. Charlie was always eager to learn something new and was never at a loss for hobbies. He was a skilled pilot like his father and enjoyed flying. He was a member of the Bluestem Flying Club. When he was not working, he enjoyed hunting with his close friends and training bird dogs, fishing on local ponds and on fishing trips to Mexico and Canada. He enjoyed golfing and was known to have a wicked short game. Tennis was also a favorite sport that he played often with friends and was known to have beaten his teenage grandchildren at the game well into his sixties. He never missed an Oklahoma State High School Tennis tournament to watch his grandchildren play, seventeen total years of attending. Gin rummy was a game he loved to play with his close friends during his retirement years. Often, after an afternoon of gin rummy, the children were put on notice he had “lost their inheritance” after the game was over. Charlie was also an artist. He enjoyed painting and practiced and perfected that hobby, as well as making jewelry for family and friends from dental gold that he saved. Cooking was also a hobby for Charlie. He had his specialties: homemade ice cream, fish that he caught, quail that he hunted, and years and years of smoked ribs, and of course the grandchildren’s weekend favorite of “Granchuck eggs”. One other well-known hobby was his love of pie eating. Charlie hosted many years of pie baking contests, open to anyone and everyone. The winner with the best pie was awarded a valuable prize; one year his beautiful gold jewelry in the shape of a slice of pie with a lattice crust went to the winner. Charlie and Kay loved the town of Bartlesville and never planned to live anywhere else. They valued and took great care in nurturing the relationships they formed over the years. In the community, Charlie was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Charter Member of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Past Director of the Bartlesville Rotary Club, First National Bank of Bartlesville Advisory Committee, Hillcrest Country Club Past Director and the Bartlesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Professionally, Charlie was twice Past President of the Bi-State Dental Society, Past President of the Northern District of Oklahoma Dental Association, Past Director of Oklahoma Dental Foundation, Member of Oklahoma Dental Association and Member of the American Dental Association. In 2002, after forty-four years of marriage, Kay Johnson passed away. In 2006, Charlie met Mary Perkins at a weekly dinner for singles in Bartlesville. They were both widowed and discovered how much they loved being together. Mary was especially attracted to his wit and sense of humor. They were married in 2010 and enjoyed fourteen wonderful years of friendship and love. Mary and Charlie traveled extensively with family and friends and were blessed to host many parties and occasions. Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Edna and Roy Johnson, his stepmother Lois Straight Johnson, his sister, Barbara Johnson Chitwood and his wife of forty-four years, Katherine Alexander Johnson. Charlie is survived by his wife, Mary Johnson; his children Jennifer Allen (Mark), Jamie Kane (Bob Bridendolph), and Jill Johnson; nine grandchildren, Matthew Allen, Claire Neal (Tim), Katherine Allen, John J. Kane (Alicia), Elizabeth Wilson (Matt), Caroline Kane, Jude Johnson, Reid Johnson, and Ella Johnson; and nine great grandchildren, Natalie Kane, John Kane, Charlie Kane, Carter Neal, David Neal, Annie Neal, Lucy Neal, Warren Wilson and Avery Wilson. Charlie was a stepfather to Sam Perkins (Kate) and Sarah Jacob (Steve) and eight step-grandchildren, Andy Jacob, Evan Jacob, Mercy Jacob, Lucas Perkins, Gwendolyn Perkins, Emmett Perkins, Joe Bridendolph and Ali Bridendolph. The family invites all friends of Charlie to a Memorial Service to celebrate his life Wednesday, July 3 at 11:00 am, at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 801 SE Washington Boulevard, Bartlesville, OK. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored if you would donate in Charlie’s name to Elder Care, Office of Philanthropy, 1223 Swan Drive Bartlesville, OK 74006 or Paths to Independence, 4620 E. Frank Phillips Boulevard, Bartlesville, OK. 74006. To honor Charlie’s memory, please consider paying forward acts of kindness in the way Charlie chose to live his life. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and Davis Family Funeral Home & Crematory – Walker Brown Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com

Charles Hawkes Johnson

February 17, 1933 - June 26, 2024