By Bo Evans

    Texas (KTVT) -- Joe Johnson has spent decades soaring above the clouds as a commercial pilot, but no flight has ever taken him far enough from the pain of losing his son.

Now, he's channeling that grief into a mission to help others take flight.

Flying offers peace and reflection"Flying for me is very relaxing," Johnson said. "It's my getaway, my safe space. I can get in the airplane and fly and think about the problems that may be at hand."

Johnson has been flying planes since he was 17 and spent decades flying for American Airlines.

When he's up in the air, he says he thinks about a lot of things, especially his family, including his son, Ashton.

A devastating phone callBut four years ago, Johnson got a call that every parent dreads.

"On October the fourth of 2021, I was on a trip for American and I was in a layover in Atlanta," said Johnson. "The phone call came from his girlfriend and she stated that she got a really weird phone call from one of his friends, and she thought he hurt himself or maybe hurt, and would I like for her to go by and check on him. I said, 'Of course."

"The next call, she said, he was gone, and she was pretty hysterical, tore up about it. I couldn't believe it. I said, 'What are you talking about?' She said he shot himself."

"Some might say it was an accident, others might say it was suicide, but either way, we can't bring him back. So it doesn't matter what you call it, he's gone. But that was my day, four years ago," said Johnson.

Honoring Ashton's legacyJohnson says he still thinks about Ashton's ambitions, and now he wants to make sure they're never forgotten.

"We've tried to take that tragedy and turn it into something good," said Johnson.

To honor his son's legacy, Johnson founded the Ashton Johnson CloudDancer Scholarship, which awards five $10,000 scholarships to veterans pursuing careers as commercial pilots—just like Ashton had hoped to do.

Helping others take flight"Ashton was extremely generous as a young man," said Johnson. "This is what he wanted, this is what he would have wanted. So that's why we do what we do."

The scholarship helps Johnson keep his son's memory alive while supporting others who share Ashton's dream.

To learn more about supporting the CloudDancer Scholarship—including attending the Black Tie and Boots Gala on Oct. 4—visit clouddancerscholarship.org.

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