Kelly Mack Johnson

Kelly Mack Johnson, 80, of Paragould, departed his earthly home on October 1st, 2021. Kelly was born on October 9th, 1940, in Evening Star, Arkansas to Clyde Austin Johnson and Clara Estelle (Campbell) Johnson. On his family’s farm, Kelly grew up with 8 sisters and 1 brother. He graduated from Delaplaine High School in 1959. After graduation, Kelly found himself in Hazelwood, Missouri where he proudly worked for the United States Postal Service for 42 years. Throughout his time at the USPS, he grew accustomed to the routines of people on his daily mail routes. During winter weather, Kelly would take extra care to ensure mail was delivered by hand to any of the elderly on his route. On one of his stops, he noticed that the homeowner would not answer the door. His gut instinct told him to go around the back of the house where he discovered the man had fallen in the snow. This man would have likely frozen to death had he not intervened. Kelly was nationally recognized by our president at the time, Bill Clinton, for saving this man’s life during his mail route. Kelly was a man who enjoyed watching Nascar on Sundays, betting on horse races, and eating biscuits and gravy from Hardee’s. He was known for his ability to sneak and pay for the bill at restaurants, his knowledge about cars and politics, and his overall love for his family. Kelly will be greatly missed by anyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

Kelly was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde Austin Johnson and Clara Estelle (Campbell) Johnson, by his son, Kendall Austin Johnson, by his sisters, Dorothy Morton, Lavern Grossman, and Jackie Smith, and by his brother in laws, Darrell Cole, Bill Edwards, Fred Smith, Hyman Grossman, and Jim Morton.

He is survived by his two daughters, Kelly Paulette Cartwright, and Kristi Irene Johnson, his two grandsons, Corby Lee (Abbey) Cartwright, and Kelly Austin Johnson, his granddaughter, Tiffany Lynn Johnson, his sisters, Grace Knoll, Norma (Jim) Glenn, Jean Edwards, Freda (Jim) Cole, Joy Cole, his brother, Larry (Joann) Johnson, the mother of his three children, Sarah Jaquelyn Weyer, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial graveside service will be held by the family on Saturday at 2:00 pm at Chesser Cemetery in Nolan, Arkansas.