Funeral services for Charles “Chuck” and Sarah Johns were held Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Northeast Texas Community College Whatley Center for the Performing Arts. Interment followed at the Crossroads Cemetery. Visitation was held Jan. 25 at the First Methodist Church in Pittsburg where the couple attended and served faithfully.
The Chuck and Sarah Johns Scholarship Fund has now been established to honor the couple. Contributions can be made in person at Cypress Bank Pittsburg or mailed: ATTN: Harold Kennington/Cypress Bank/120 S. Greer Blvd/Pittsburg, TX 75686--For more information, call (903) 856-6653.
Camp County residents and the surrounding community continue to mourn the sudden loss of community leader and business owner Chuck Johns who died tragically in a car accident in Upshur County Jan. 16. His wife, Sarah, who was a local, longtime educator, was also critically injured in the wreck. She was transferred to an area hospital, but died of her injuries a day later.
A 1964 graduate of Pittsburg High School, Chuck Johns received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1968. He began working in the insurance industry for Cozart-Johns Insurance, now Yantis-Johns Insurance, in 1971. As a proud, fourth- generation Camp County resident, he served as president of the local company, prominently located in downtown Pittsburg.
Always civically and community minded, Johns served as a board director for Cypress Bank, former member of the Pittsburg City Council and past board trustee for Pittsburg ISD. Actively involved as a member and past president of the Pittsburg Rotary Club, he received the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award. Additionally, Johns was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg and acknowledged by many as an honorary Pittsburg historian.
Representing the citizens of Camp County, Johns, since 1996, served as a board trustee for Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC). At the time of his death, he was the board’s chairman. At the request of the Tri-County Press, college officials issued the following statement:
"All of us at Northeast Texas Community College are deeply saddened by the loss of the Chairman of our Board of Trustees, Chuck Johns. Mr. Johns began serving on the college board in 1996 and he has been a faithful member since then. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 2020 and remained in that role until his passing. He was an active member of the Community College Association of Texas Trustees (CCATT) and worked at the state level to advocate for NTCC.
“Mr. Johns truly embodied the spirit of a public servant. He not only provided strong, consistent leadership for the college throughout his tenure on the Board, but he was also deeply invested in the important mission of empowering our students to succeed. His positive impact on the college and community will live on for many years to come,” Dr. Ron Clinton, NTCC President, said. We are keeping his family in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”
"In addition to his work on the board, Johns was also a generous donor to NTCC. He and Sarah established the Bullard and Nan Johns Memorial Scholarship in 2001 in honor of his late parents. The perpetual scholarship is designated to help non-traditional students who reside in Camp County achieve their college dreams.”
Sarah Johns, who taught elementary English for over 30 years, later served as a Pittsburg ISD board trustee. She was also a member of the Twentieth Century Club and Lions Club.
The couple, married 55 years, is survived by three children, Jenny (Jason) Waters, Wade Johns and Casie (Christian) Yantis; nine grandchildren and a host of family and friends who will continue to cherish their memories.
Sonya Woods
Sonya has followed a lifelong passion for journalism. Sonya began publishing The Tri-County Press on August 29, 2013, providing a weekly newspaper connecting the citizens of Titus, Camp and Morris Counties as well as neighboring residents through responsible community journalism.