Mac A Johnson
Mac A. Johnson (74) of Santa Barbara passed away on July 6, 2020 surrounded by his wife and children, love and Hawaiian music. Mac was born in 1945 to Nadine McPike (Johnson) Staggs and Donald E. Johnson in Shelbina, MO, and was raised by his mother and stepfather, John W. Staggs in Shelbyville, MO. In the 1960s, Mac served for several years in the U.S. Army’s military intelligence division, chiefly in Asmara, Eritrea (formerly Ethiopia), where his eldest daughter was born. He graduated in 1974 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in Business Management and worked at Mutual of Omaha for over 25 years in Technology, Sales, and Marketing. In 1999, he became Chief Marketing Officer for what is now Northern California AAA Insurance. In 2002, he and his wife, Susan, found an opportunity to align their business values and work ethic with a desire to support seniors by opening a Home Instead Senior Care office in Santa Barbara. In later years, he joked about needing to be as educated as his children and went back to school part-time, earning an MBA from Norwich University.
In the Santa Barbara community, Mac served as a board member and as board president of Santa Barbara Easy Lift Transportation, and he served on the board of Catholic Charities. Mac and his labradoodle, Cal, also volunteered for many years at local hospitals and Hospice, bringing joy and comfort to patients, families and hospital staff. In the evenings he enjoyed cooking with family and friends, and he had a joke for every occasion.
He is survived by wife, Susan; children Denise Levy (David), Willy Johnson (Erin Davidson), Sarah Jane Johnson (Kerryann Cook); stepchildren, Kevin Burnett (Brooke), Elisabeth Shearon (Carson), Megan Burnett; eight grandchildren, Charles, Charlie, Sam, Brigitte, Ella, Helen, Roan, Harvey; stepfather, John W. Staggs, his sister Donna Purvis (Russell), numerous nieces and nephews, and his loyal labradoodles, Cal and Maddie. Go MIZZOU!
A celebration of Mac’s life will be held next summer. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Santa Barbara Easy Lift Transportation: https://www.easylift.org/donate