Lynn Keddington of Centerville has volunteered in many different ways in the community. He has lived in Centerville for 45 years and loves to be with his family. Philip Johnson of Farmington has served our country valiantly and has been married for 16 years.

A lot of volunteer hours have gone toward Lynn Keddington being nominated for Rotary Club Citizen of the Year for Centerville.

He has spent about eight years driving the truck for the Bountiful Food Pantry. He has also served with Centerville Parks and Recreation for the last eight years.

“The Centerville–Farmington Rotary Club has for the last few years sent a person to go with us on the truck to the different stores,” said Keddington. “I met a lot of the members of the Rotary Club through my work at the Food Pantry.” 

“I have never really been told the qualifications they were looking for, but they were looking for people who did volunteer work in the community,” he said. “They just said that basically it was the amount of volunteer work I had done.”

This is the second time Keddington has been on the parks and recreation committee. “I also did it in the 80s and 90s when we did the parks master plan for a community park,” he said. “The committee was involved in securing a $6,000 – $7,000 grant so that it could redo Island View Park.”

Keddington was born and raised in Bountiful. He and his wife, who also grew up in Bountiful, have lived in Centerville for the last 45 years. “We have four children and 13 grandchildren,” he said. They will have been married for 50 years in September.

While working as a laborer at the Holiday Frontier Oil Refinery in West Bountiful, Keddington took advantage of their education assistance plan and went to school at night. “I graduated from Weber State College in finance and business management,” he said. He worked for the refinery for about 35 years. “I retired as vice president and refinery manager.”

He has volunteered as league president for Centerville Softball Association and the Soccer Association. 

“I also volunteered for 25 years on the board of directors of the small credit union that the company owned, the company employee credit union,” said Keddington. “Either on the board of directors or the supervisory committee.”

He likes to spend time with family. “We try to snowmobile in the winter when there is snow. And we do ATVs, and side by side,” he said. Lately they have traveled mostly to see grandchildren, two of whom live out of state.

Major Philip E. Johnson was selected as the Rotary Citizen of the Year for Farmington.

Johnson is a major in the United States Air Force at HFAB. He lives in Farmington with his wife, Laura. They have been married for 16 years and have a 3-year-old daughter, Marlys. Another child is expected in the fall. 

“He grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2002 from Ypsilanti High,” said Centerville Police Chief Paul Child, former Community Service Club chair. “He then joined the United States Air Force and gained an associate of applied science degree in communication from the Community College of Air Force.” 

In furthering his education, Johnson went to Embry Riddle Aero University, Worldwide and obtained a bachelor of science degree in communication.

“He went on to earn a master’s degree in Aeronautical Science, Summa Cum Laude, in 2012. He is currently enrolled in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he is working on a Master of Divinity degree,” said Child.

Major Johnson has flown a wide variety of aircraft. “He recently was awarded the rare distinction of piloting an F22 fighter plane for over 1,000 hours, a truly remarkable accomplishment,” Child said. “Johnson has flown multiple combat missions providing close air support in Syria and Iraq.” 

The major has served in defense of the USA in many locations around the world, said Child. “He is currently assigned to the 514th Flight Test Squadron at HAFB. Major Johnson is a senior pilot and a pilot instructor.”

Johnson has received many distinguished awards: Instructor Pilot of the year, Superior Performer and Top Mission Commander are a few.

“During the past 18 months Philip, working in collaboration with his friend Naveen, raised around $7,500 for a non-profit named Local Church Catalyst which paid for two water plants in India and made other improvements,” Child said.

Johnson works with the youth in the Flourishing Grace Church in Bountiful. He teaches youth, who are interested, about serving in the Air Force, coaching and advising them on achieving their goals.

“Philip is truly a remarkable man who has a wealth of knowledge and has served our country faithfully for nearly 20 years,” said Child.