Robert Clinton Johnson, or “Joe Kinder” to most of us, passed away on Oct. 25, 2025, in his adopted home of Phetchabun, Thailand.

Joe was born on Feb. 25, 1940, in Burns, or maybe somewhere in Alaska, the family is divided on that little detail. He was born to Clinton and Marjorie Johnson. Clinton was killed in a plane crash in Alaska when Joe was very small, so they moved back to Burns where he grew up.

Joe attended school in Burns, graduating from BUHS in 1958.  

After a few local jobs with the mill and in the woods, Joe began his lifelong adventures of traveling to places near and far. His landing pad was usually near the Portland area, and he always seemed to make it home to Burns for Christmas Eve. All the Wheeler and Kinder kids would squeal with joy when Uncle Joe walked through the door. Joe was the cool uncle and was the first to buy lottery tickets for us at Christmas when it was still very new. I remember us kids scratching off the foil in hopes we would strike it rich.  

Joe was so good to his nieces and nephews. He gave Kelly, Margie and Shellie each a VW Bug for Christmas after they turned 16. I’m not so sure Pat thought these were “gifts” as he spent a lot of time bailing us kids out of car trouble.  But one thing is for sure, we never needed snow tires in Burns! Those Bugs did great on the snowy roads and us girls got a lot of miles out of them.

Joe was also into motocross racing and BMX bike racing, along with brother Butch, taking his nephews to the races in Bend to expose them to a whole new sport.  

Joe obtained a much-coveted gill-netting license for fishing in Yakutat, Alaska, and Patrick was able to join him there for a month.  He recalls the fun they had fishing and meeting Joe’s new friends, something that came easily to Joe.  He said they just rolled with whatever each day brought them, never worrying about making plans. Joe lived most of his life this way, laid back, going with the flow.

About 30 years ago he landed in Thailand, and this is where he’d spend the rest of his life. He loved it there, and at 72 years old, was married for the first and only time. He met his beloved wife Noovieng Kansa, or “Air” as we know her. Even though he lived a half-a-world away, he loved keeping up with Hilander sports and his great niece’s and great nephew’s high school and college sports.  

Joe made many trips home to visit family. He loved going to Reno to stay with his daughter, Jamie and her husband, Danny, and grandsons Donavan and Devin McDonald. He taught both grandsons how to drive and shared with them his favorite pastime – fishing.

Joe was preceded in death by his father, Clinton Johnson; mother, Margie Kinder; stepsiblings, Bob Kinder, Bill Kinder, Skip Manke and Joyce Wheeler.

He is survived by his wife, Air, and her two sons, and two granddaughters, of Phetchabun, Thailand; daughter, Jamie Jo (Danny); grandsons, Donavan and Devin McDonald of Reno, Nev.; his brother, Butch (Marcia) Kinder of Vancouver, Wash.; brother-in-law, Pat Wheeler of Hines; and stepsister, Claudette Dieker of Oregon City.  

His nieces and nephews David, Jeff, Kelly, Margie Patrick, Joe, Toby, Shellie and Travis will all miss him terribly.

Jamie and her boys plan on taking a trip to Thailand in January to spread Joe’s ashes in Phuket.