Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • April 2016
11
A Narrat ive About the Closeness of the Band Communi ty
This story centers on Pattie Johnson,
wife of Dr. Barry Wayne Johnson.
Barry was a long time band director
in several districts and finished his
career at Lamar University where he
eventually entered the administration,
retiring as Vice President for Student
Affairs. I have known Barry and
Pattie since August of 1964 when I
entered Sam Houston State University
as an awkward, shy and frightened
freshman. They took me under their
wing and helped the “boy from the
sticks” succeed in the higher education
environment.
We kept in touch through the years
and various job changes. We both
settled in Southeast Texas where he
taught both my children at Lamar and
we became familiar with Mike Barnes
as a student at Hardin-Jefferson High
School and then at Lamar.
Mike became the director at Ridge
Point High School in the Fort Bend ISD
in the fall of 2011 and immediately felt
that he was not achieving the desired
“band culture” at his school. He called
on Barry, who had by then retired,
for his assistance and Barry worked
with Mike and the Ridge Point Band
through the spring of 2012 and the
atmosphere improved dramatically.
Fast forward to early 2015 when
Pattie began to have health issues,
seemingly neurologically-based, but
ill-defined by their local physicians.
Pattie’s doctor eventually suspected
Parkinson’s disease and referred them
to Houston. Some of the symptoms of
Parkinson’s include difficulty walking,
stiff or aching muscles, tremors, and
difficulty with speech or writing.
Pattie exhibited some of these but not
in the usual manner, making diagnosis
problematic.
Barry and Pattie were staying in
Katy in their motor home in order
to be close to their son, Michael
Johnson. On February 19, Pattie had
to be transported to the Houston
Methodist West Hospital in Katy.
Pattie’s primary physician was Dr.
Nyugen. After she was admitted, he
set about to definitively diagnosis
her condition and improve her
mobility so that she would be able
to leave the hospital. The daily routine
was rehab type activities and various
medical tests, none of which were
conclusive. During this time Barry
stayed with Pattie in the hospital.
After a week Pattie was transferred
to Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation
Hospital in Katy. It is hospital policy
that a discharge date is established
upon admittance so that there is a
clearly defined goal for the patient and
family. This date was March 14. Pattie’s
daily schedule revolved around rehab
and evaluation and she gradually
gained strength and mobility. The band
director “grapevine” brought news of
the Johnson’s plight to the attention of
Mike Barnes. He visited them around
March 10 and inquired of their plans
on discharge since Pattie would still
have to have doctor appointments and
rehab sessions at least twice a week.
As many of us have experienced with
elderly parents or friends, Barry had
become absorbed with the day-to-day
activities of Pattie’s health care and
had not given much thought to their
next destination.
When Mike was visiting them, they
discussed options concerning where
to go after Pattie’s hospital discharge.
Options discussed were staying with
Michael, going back to the motor
home, and/or going home to Village
Mills. Staying with Michael was out
of the question because he lives in a
second floor apartment. The motor
home was not an option because
Pattie could not get in and out of the
motor home. Commuting two and a
half hours one way from Village Mills
to Houston twice a week was not
sustainable. Mike rather cryptically
said, “You have another option.” Pattie
was discharged on March 14 to begin
outpatient rehab.
A Spotlight On . . .
Band Boosters
Gary Wells, Phi Beta Mu Executive Secretary
This story is based on an interview by Gary Wells with band director Dr. Barry Wayne Johnson.
