Welding instructor dies, leaves behind legacy

By Nick Ngo

Welding instructor Wendall Johnson devoted his time to helping and seeing his students become successful and advocating faculty members to look after each other, according to former Faculty Association President Pam Shields.

Johnson died Thursday April 6. While teaching his class that afternoon, Johnson said he was not feeling well and was taken to a hospital by one of his laboratory assistants. He died later that night from a heart attack. Mt. Hood Community President Robert Silverman sent out an email that night to inform staff members of Johnson’s death.

Dean of Science and Technology James Arnold said Johnson was the embodiment of what the Industrial Technology Department is all about, plus what community college should be about in terms for caring about students and student success.

“He was one of the most dedicated people I have met here, in terms of being just true blue Mt. Hood Community College,” Arnold said. “He gave literally everything to this place. He worked incredibly long hours and worked very hard.”

Johnson graduated from Washington State University in 1972. He started working at MHCC as a part-time welding instructor and in 1996 became a full-time instructor. In June 2004, he became department chair of the IT department. Shields said Johnson became the treasurer of the Faculty Association around 2002.

Johnson’s personality was described as calm, gentle, laid back and being a quiet person. He was someone who didn’t speak a lot of words, but spoke up when needed to address an important issue or to keep things on track.

“He was physically a big guy, with a beard. He sort of looked like if you didn’t know him, you might want to stay out of the way of,” Arnold said, “but he was just a teddy bear. He was quiet and gentle.”

Instructor Richard Walters said regardless of who Johnson met, whether he knew them or not, he was kind to everyone.

Walters also mentioned Johnson was a type of guy who would take time for your needs; he would set his agenda aside for people. For example, if a student was walking around the Industrial Technology building, expressing an interest in wanting to join the welding program, Johnson would stop what he was doing and showed them around the welding lab and gave them information about the program.

Besides taking his time to helping students outside the welding program, Administrative Assistant Chris Dobson said Johnson really cared for his students’ well-being and success.

“I didn’t know of a student who didn’t respect him,” Dobson said. “He was very respectful of students; in return they respected him a lot.”
She said she would hear how Johnson gave his students the hardest tests, yet they were always open book and open notes, allowing the students to learn the material no matter what.

“Wendall wanted them to learn as much as they could, by reading and by trying to go for the correct answer,” Dobson said. “That requires a lot of reading, a lot of note taking, a lot of researching. But that’s how the students would learn. It would get in their heads that way.”

Johnson would also go the extra mile of staying back and helping f