I’ll spare you the imagery, but David Johnson nearly danced this morning as he announced that this was his official, final day for the Town of Grantsville. Although he has one more for the road to help the City out, today, October 18th, 2023 was his official day of Retirement so far as the WV State Board of Retirement is concerned.
In 1993, when he began his career as an OIT, Operator in Training under Charlie Stevens, the Water Plant was located where Gino’s Pizza and Tudors now dwells. The brick building that housed the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department as well as the Town of Grantsville City Office and Water Plant was in such disrepair that you could literally see through the brick mortar space to the outside. Two large water tanks were in the office consuming the vast majority of the space. A far cry from the multi million dollar plant David now operates in the Industrial Park.
David took to the training like a fish in water. He and Charlie Stevens became fast friends with a similar work ethic, neither knew when to quit.
Around that time David began spending time with Emergency Service crews because of his job location. Not long afterwards he too became an EMT and volunteered for many years being a favored driver because of his skill level from years of being stupid enough to travel on any unfit road in the County just to see if he could. Not long after his first year as an Operator for the Water Plant, he was on the Ambulance when his new friend and co-worker, Charles A. Stevens died of a heart attack.
I’ll spare you the next 29 years of stories, but those events set David Johnson into decades of service beyond what most people can imagine. I’d like to say I viewed it from the sidelines, but the the thing about being the wife of an EMT, Fireman and Water Plant Operator is you become a willing widow of living husband. In a community the size of Calhoun there are not enough volunteers to go around. And when they find a man (or woman) with the heart of a servant, everyone knows who to call when help is needed. And they did. And he went. And we, (myself and two young daughters) were all okay with that because we knew it made him the happiest when he was serving people.
Over the last three years, David Johnson has been Chief Operator of the Grantsville Municipal Water Plant and Chief of the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department. During that time he literally worked over two years, 7 days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day for the Town because his friend, Asst. Fire Chief and newly hired Operator, Craig Gherke, had to become certified while working under David’s watch in the plant. If I’m not mistaken, he had two days off out of over 730. It was unavoidable. If you have city water, your safety depended on it. That’s not dramatics, it’s truth.
The price of having a servants heart is physical heart issues. It’s caring more about others than yourself to the point of a great toll on your own health. David Johnson has been blessed to live 62 years. He has been blessed because the two of us are very passionate people about what we believe in and he’s blessed that I didn’t kill him. And I’m not kidding. Long hours, caring deeply, saving lives, (and sometimes not) doesn’t only effect the Chief. But the Mrs. Chief and the Baby Chiefs and the Grandbaby Chiefs have all suffered a very grouchy, hateful and sometimes impossible man.
But today we begin anew. Today, David Johnson is dancing in the kitchen and happier than I’ve seen him in a very, very long time. If you happen to see him today (or tomorrow or the day after) take a second to thank him for his service. If he’s ever been hateful with you (and I can guarantee if you’ve known him long he has been) forgive him. I’ve had to. Multiple times. Because loving someone with a servants heart means you’re at the very least second. And I’m okay with that. But it also means that you’ve got someone you can depend on. And that my friends is David Johnson in a nutshell.
David also retired as Chief of the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department.
Congratulations baby! you deserve.
