Volunteer of the Year is a 47-year club member
Springfield Southeast Rotary Club’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year is Rex Johnson. Rex joined the club in 1978 and served as the 18th president in 1984 – ’85. The award was presented on April 17 at a club meeting.
Rex has long demonstrated a selfless commitment to community service, giving freely of his time, talent and treasure. His leadership has impacted countless organizations, including serving as president for an Optimist Club, Junior Achievement, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Thrivent Financial Board, Messiah Lutheran Church, Bradford Park Neighborhood Association (where he also was named a Volunteer of the Year), National Multiple Sclerosis Society Springfield, Springfield Little Theatre, The Victim Center, and Community Blood Center of the Ozarks.
Rex has also volunteered and supported The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association and many others. He has hauled semi-truckloads of food and relief supplies to tornado victims in Joplin, hosted public garden tours at his home, organized neighborhood cleanups, police support rallies and community picnics.
While the big accomplishments are impressive, sometimes the smallest acts of service speak loudest. In the words of his nominator, Rex regularly drives neighbors to doctor appointments, offers support to spouses of terminally ill people, takes homebound seniors to lunch, delivers poinsettias to people alone during the holidays, helps widows prepare their income tax returns, cares for pets while families are away to ease the financial burden, and checks on elderly neighbors.
Rex is not a spectator in life. He is an active participant in home, family, neighborhood, community, and the world. He doesn’t just wave hello — he steps up and steps in, time and time again.
In addition to giving of his time, talent and treasures, he has given his own sweat and blood! He's been a loyal blood donor since 1971 and a champion of the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks since its founding in 1995. Rex was inducted into the CBCO Hall of Fame in 2012. He’s donated more than 232 units — that’s 27 gallons — of whole blood, equivalent to 18 full human bodies’ worth of blood, and is still donating every 56 days like clockwork.
We are also grateful and thankful for our honoree’s five years of service in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of captain.
Rex’s compassion and drive to serve is an inspiration to us all.
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Our Volunteer of the Year Award is the highest honor our club bestows for service rendered outside of Rotary activities. Nominations were submitted by both club members and community organizations, and the final selection was made by our Rotary Volunteer Committee: Co-chairs Cindy Howell and Barbara Lucks, Tammy Mast, Dan Emrie and Brian McDonough.
The photo shows Rex with his wife, Mary Ann, and his daughter, Past President Lori Johnson Murawski. Lori is the only president (2022 - '23) in the club's history whose parent also served as a president of our club. [Photo by Dan Emrie]
Rex has long demonstrated a selfless commitment to community service, giving freely of his time, talent and treasure. His leadership has impacted countless organizations, including serving as president for an Optimist Club, Junior Achievement, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Thrivent Financial Board, Messiah Lutheran Church, Bradford Park Neighborhood Association (where he also was named a Volunteer of the Year), National Multiple Sclerosis Society Springfield, Springfield Little Theatre, The Victim Center, and Community Blood Center of the Ozarks.
Rex has also volunteered and supported The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association and many others. He has hauled semi-truckloads of food and relief supplies to tornado victims in Joplin, hosted public garden tours at his home, organized neighborhood cleanups, police support rallies and community picnics.
While the big accomplishments are impressive, sometimes the smallest acts of service speak loudest. In the words of his nominator, Rex regularly drives neighbors to doctor appointments, offers support to spouses of terminally ill people, takes homebound seniors to lunch, delivers poinsettias to people alone during the holidays, helps widows prepare their income tax returns, cares for pets while families are away to ease the financial burden, and checks on elderly neighbors.
Rex is not a spectator in life. He is an active participant in home, family, neighborhood, community, and the world. He doesn’t just wave hello — he steps up and steps in, time and time again.
In addition to giving of his time, talent and treasures, he has given his own sweat and blood! He's been a loyal blood donor since 1971 and a champion of the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks since its founding in 1995. Rex was inducted into the CBCO Hall of Fame in 2012. He’s donated more than 232 units — that’s 27 gallons — of whole blood, equivalent to 18 full human bodies’ worth of blood, and is still donating every 56 days like clockwork.
We are also grateful and thankful for our honoree’s five years of service in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of captain.
Rex’s compassion and drive to serve is an inspiration to us all.
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Our Volunteer of the Year Award is the highest honor our club bestows for service rendered outside of Rotary activities. Nominations were submitted by both club members and community organizations, and the final selection was made by our Rotary Volunteer Committee: Co-chairs Cindy Howell and Barbara Lucks, Tammy Mast, Dan Emrie and Brian McDonough.
The photo shows Rex with his wife, Mary Ann, and his daughter, Past President Lori Johnson Murawski. Lori is the only president (2022 - '23) in the club's history whose parent also served as a president of our club. [Photo by Dan Emrie]
