Leslie W. ‘Les’ Johnson

Sept. 25, 1917 – Nov. 12, 2010


Leslie W. "Les" Johnson of Waukesha died Friday Nov. 12, 2010, at LindenGrove-Waukesha at the age of 93. He was born in the Town of Vernon on Sept. 25, 1917.

He graduated in 1936 from Waukesha High School and attended Carroll College for one year, then worked various jobs to help support his aunt and uncle who raised him due to his parents’ early deaths.

He and Mildred Brackob of Clintonville married July 5, 1941. Shortly after marrying, he served in the Army during World War II as a tech sergeant in the 252nd Field Artillery Unit. He went into enemy lines and radioed back to the large gunners as to where to attack the enemy. He received the Bronze Star, and after the war returned to Waukesha with his wife, Millie, and was one of the organizers of Spring City Trucking Company. He was their bookkeeper and eventually president of the company until it closed.

Les was an active member of the Waukesha Noon Lions Club, a lifetime member of the Lions International. He was honored for 50 years of service and awarded two of the highest awards in Lions Club, the Melvin Jones Life Award and the Burch-Strum Award. He was also an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Les and Millie were blessed with two children, Connie and Bill. Connie is a music teacher in Stevens Point Schools. She and her husband, Peter, have three sons. Les was very proud of his three grandsons and watched them grow up into fine young men. Grandson Dr. Michael Munagian is a doctor of radiology, stationed at the Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Grandson Andrew Spencer has a Bachelor of Science degree in education and is director of a food service at Delta University in Cleveland. Grandson Benjamin, the youngest, graduated from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts. He specializes in technical lighting and design and is working in the San Diego area.

Bill, Les’ son and his wife, Sherry, reside in Waukesha. Bill’s stepdaughter, Kristi, is married to Greg Ender and they have a daughter, Mya Grace, who is 3 years old. They reside in New Berlin. Bill also has two stepsons, Mark and David Smith, who live in Michigan, and they each have two daughters.

Les’ wife, Millie, preceded him in death in 2005. She had been at LindenGrove for 11 years. Les is a lifetime member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waukesha and served in many church positions. He was faithful in attendance there and remained active in his faith, attending services at LindenGrove.

Les celebrated his 93rd birthday this year and gave thanks to God for those many years and to his wife and family for the love that enriched his life.

Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. until the 1 p.m. funeral service Wednesday, Nov. 17, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1052 Whiterock Ave., Waukesha. Burial will follow at Vernon Lutheran Cemetery in Vernon.

Memorials are appreciated to the Waukesha Noon Lions Club or Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.

For further information, please call Randle-Dable Funeral, Cremation and Preplanning Services at 547-4035 or go to www.waukeshafunerals.com to leave an online tribute.