Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Meet “Our Rock,” Duane Johnson
In our weekly spotlight we often address the positive aspects of living in a senior living community. One reason Concordia is recognized as a desirable retirement community is the many wonderful residents who reside here. They bring to our community a wealth of experiences and are willing to share with others, creating a stimulating and appealing environment in which to live. Duane Johnson, who we lovingly call “Our Rock,” is Treasurer of the ACR (Association of Concordia Residents) and coordinator of our weekly happy hour social. He is an example of a resident who contributes daily to Concordia life.
Duane was born in 1932 and grew up in Bertrand, Nebraska, on land that was homesteaded by his grandfather in the 1870’s. Duane began playing piano as a young chap, and then he took up the trumpet. Despite growing up farming with his family, Duane had other ambitions in mind as he headed out on his own after graduation in 1950. He became a student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where his focus was Music Education. It was while at UN that he met the love of his life, Patricia Syfert, a cute, former USO performer-turned-opera-major from Hollywood, CA. After Patricia’s father died, she had moved back to Nebraska (her birth state) to attend college. Duane and Patricia were soon married and remained so for 55 years. Together, they had two daughters (one having passed at birth) and one adopted son.
Duane was a band director for two years in a small town in Nebraska, and then for three years in Southwest Iowa. The opportunity arose for Duane to attend the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley (known as Colorado State College in those days). This is where he received his Master of Arts in Music Supervision. He then returned to Southwest Iowa to continue teaching for another six years. In 1965, he took a position in his college town of Lincoln, Nebraska, where he taught elementary and r. High music classes for a short while until he was offered the band director position at the new school in town, East High School.
Duane’s tenure at East High was fun-filled. In his 19 years as band director, he took his students on yearly skiing trips to Colorado. He made four trips to Europe with his students over the years, touring and playing concerts in different countries, including England, Switzerland, Italy, France, Bavaria (Germany), and Holland. Duane was the president of the Nebraska Bandmasters Association in 1975 and the president and chairman of the Nebraska High School Marching Band Festival for six years. He helped establish the Nebraska Young Band Director Award and the Nebraska Outstanding Band Director Award, of which he was the recipient in 1993. During the last few years of his music teaching career, because he was proficient at playing every instrument in the band, Duane began teaching beginning music students on various instruments in several of the elementary schools across Lincoln until he retired in 1992.
When asked how he found out about and ended up in Bella Vista, Arkansas, Duane stated that his relationship with Arkansas began back in the 1970s when his family came to the Ozarks to vacation. However, Duane drove right through Bella Vista and must’ve blinked because he didn’t
Duane is a sweet, gentle soul. He is always willing to help anyone and loves to make sure everyone is having a great time on Fridays for Concordia’s happy hour social.
even realize what beauty awaited for him here at that time. In the late 1980s Duane and Patricia had friends who had retired to Bella Vista and had invited them to come for a visit. Duane, an avid golfer, jumped at the idea. He and Patricia spent a few days with their friends and loved the area so much that they retired to Bella Vista in 1993. They first lived on the east side of town and then later sold their home and moved to the west side.
Sadly, in 2010, Duane’s dear Patricia passed. Duane lived alone for nearly ten years before he met and made fast friends with Joan Dahl at a water aerobics class at Branchwood Community Center. They both loved to travel and took trips all over the country, including a trip to Alaska. They moved to Concordia together and remained together until Joan’s passing.
Duane is a sweet, gentle soul. He is always willing to help anyone and loves to make sure everyone is having a great time on Fridays for Concordia’s happy hour social. We are so blessed that he calls Concordia “home,”and that we can call him our neighbor and our dear friend. If you would like more information about Concordia and are interested in meeting some of our wonderful residents, please call 479-855-3714 and let us introduce you to our community and show you how you can be a part of it!