Retired UTU Vice President Real-Jean Proulx, 91, died March 21, 2015 in Gatineau, Quebec.
Proulx was a flight sergeant of the 6th Canadian Bomber Group of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
After his military career, Proulx went to work for Canadian National Railway running trades. He soon became active in United Transportation Union Local 1139 (Montreal, Que.), rose through the ranks and was elected Vice President at the 1983 convention. Proulx was passionate about the defense of workers’ rights and was well respected on both sides of the bargaining table. After he retired, Proulx became a member of the UTU Alumni Association.
During his retirement, Proulx continued to serve in numerous associations and pension boards. He enjoyed reading, golfing, hunting and fishing.
Proulx is survived by his wife of 67 years Jacqueline, son Michael, daughter Suzanne, grandson Simon, granddaughters Karen and Christine, great-grandson Rylan and Cameron, great-granddaughters Abbey and Zoey, and many others.
Memorial contributions may be made to the La maison Mathieu Froment-Savoie, 170 Rue Sherbrooke, Gatineau, QC J8Y 2L6, Canada or to The Salvation Army, Territorial Headquarters for Canada and Bermuda, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, ON M4H 1P4, Canada.
Joseph E. Kight, 71, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Monday, August 3 at Baptist Medical Center. Kight (L-903 of Jacksonville, Fla.) was a retired Florida East Coast Railway engineer. He retired in April of 2007. He had served as assistant general chairperson (GCA GO-851). He was first admitted to SMART TD (formerly The United Transportation Union) on May 1, 1994. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Judy Kight of Jacksonville, Fla., his children Stacie (Jacob) Wyss and Joseph Bubba (Barbara) Kight both of Jacksonville, Fla., brother, Gene Pyle (Ruth) Kight of Lake City, Fla., five grandchildren, Conner, Clayton, Fenwick, Kayla, and Kennedy. A graveside service will be held at Arlington Memorial Park on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. with Minister Jim Bird officiating. The arrangements are under the care and direction of V. Todd Ferreira Funeral Services, 250 North Lowder Street, Macclenny, FL 32063, (904) 259-5700.
Donald L. Allard, 55, of Minot, N.D. died Tuesday, June 9 in a Minot hospital. Allard (L-1059 of Minot, N.D.) was a BNSF brakeman and long-time local chairperson and delegate. He also served as assistant general chairperson for GO 386 from 2003 to 2015. He originally hired out in September of 1979 as a brakeman, having 36 years of service at the time of his passing.
SMART TD National Legislative Director John Risch says, “Don was a leader in our Minot local for years as well as a long-time delegate. He was a good, good friend who died too young. We are all saddened by his passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Mary, and to his family. He will be sorely missed.”
Allard is survived by his wife of 35 years, Mary; children, Trisha (Jason) Wuori, Dale (Amanda) Allard and Donald “D.J.” Allard. He’s also survived by his grandchildren; parents – Allen and Linda Allard; and two brothers – Bob and Ron (Stacey) Allard.
Visitation for friends and family will be June 15 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Thompson-Larson Funeral Home Chapel, 21 Third Avenue, SW, Minot, N.D. A vigil prayer service immediately follows. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, June 16 at St. John The Apostle Catholic Church. Burial services will be held at Rosehill Memorial Park June 19 at 1:00 p.m.
Retired former United Transportation Union (UTU) General Secretary & Treasurer Daniel E. Johnson III, 67, passed away early May 21, 2015, according to reports received by the SMART Transportation Division.
Johnson, who retired in August 2007 and was living in Lincoln, Cal., had been battling a number of health issues.
Funeral arrangements have not been determined.
Johnson was elected as the UTU’s General Secretary & Treasurer by the UTU Board of Directors in February 2001. He was subsequently re-elected to that position by acclamation at the UTU’s 2003 Quadrennial Convention, and continued to serve in that post until he retired in August 2007.
Johnson began his career in 1966 as a brakeman on the Southern Pacific, and was promoted to conductor in 1970. He joined Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Lodge 460 (now Smart Transportation Division Local 807, in Tucson, Ariz.) in June 1966, and served as Vice Local Chairperson from 1969 to 1972, Local Chairperson from 1973 to 1980, Legislative Representative from 1971 to 1980, Delegate from 1975 to 1979, and Chairperson of the Arizona State Legislative Board from 1975 to 1983.
He also served as Vice General Chairperson from 1981 to 1990, and then General Chairperson of General Committee of Adjustment GO-887, for Southern Pacific Lines (Western) from 1990 to 1997.
Johnson was elected UTU Alternate Vice President-West in 1995, and became UTU Vice President in June 1997. He was re-elected to that post at the 1999 UTU Quadrennial Convention.
In addition, Johnson chaired the Southwest General Chairperson’s Association from 1991 to 1996, the Western General Chairperson’s Association from 1996 to 1997, and was a member of the UTU/BLE Merger Committee in 1993. A member of UTU’s National Negotiating Committee in 1995 and 1996, he also was a member of the National Wages & Rules Panel from 1997 until his retirement.
Johnson was proud to have been a founding trustee of the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust, serving from its inception February 1, 2002, until January 31, 2004.
He was also proud of a white paper he authored entitled, “We Must Stop the ‘Race to the Bottom,’” which argued for unification of all operating historical railroad crafts as a means of standing forcefully against the carriers in the 21st Century.
A member of the University of Arizona Alumni Association, he received a B.A. in 1969 and attended graduate school there in 1969 and 1970. He served from 1973 to 1975 on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood in Tucson, Ariz.
The family asks that persons wishing to make donations in Johnson’s memory be made to: Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, 110 East 42 St., 16th floor, New York, NY 10017. Checks should be made payable to ‘Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research.’ Donations can also be made online at www.alzinfo.org.
A celebration of life is being planned for July or August.
