Charles A. Johnson
March 1, 1926 – March 12, 2016
Past President of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis (1994-1995)
Born on March 1, 1926, in Carmel, IN, he was the son of J. Grant and Goldah Roberts Johnson. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Virginia Williams, and his grandson John David Downing. He is survived by a daughter, Joanna Lynne Downing, Knoxville, MD; a son, Gregory Charles, Willis, VA; a grandson, Corey Charles Downing, and a brother, James, Richmond, IN.
Charles graduated from Earlham College, Richmond, IN, and earned a master’s degree from Hartford Theological Seminary, Hartford, CT. He was awarded honorary doctorates by Indiana University and Marian College.
Prior to his retirement in 1994, Charles was vice president of Lilly Endowment, a family foundation in Indianapolis, which provided funding for a wide range of charitable organizations in Indiana and nationally. During his eighteen years on the staff he served as an advisor to many charities and was deeply involved in the founding of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, the National Committee on Planned Giving, and in developing an initiative to encourage the growth of community foundations throughout the state of Indiana. In 1993 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.
Earlier in his career, Charles was development officer for Earlham College, Richmond, IN, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, and the American City Bureau, Chicago, IL. After Charles and his wife retired to Tucson in 1996, he was president of the Board of Trustees of the Carondelet Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Oro Valley Community Foundation, and a volunteer at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Charles never stopped working; in his 80’s he was instrumental in founding the scholarship program for employees at Splendido Retirement Community in Oro Valley.
Charles was an avid golfer with many friends at Skyline Country Club, and a lifelong car enthusiast, focusing on Ford Model As and early V8s. Charles was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers). He was the third of the four Johnson brothers, JW, Phillip, Charles, and James. Their extended families brought him great joy. Charles was very fond of his son-in-law, Jim and step-grandsons, Jeremy, Ben, and James; his daughter-in-law, Colleen, his step-granddaughters Karen and Diane, and his great-grandsons Brody and Riley. – See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=charles-a-johnson&pid=178090468&fhid=20175#sthash.ajuNORGq.dpuf
