Donald Barton Johnson of Santa Barbara peacefully passed away on August 25, 2020 at the age of 87. A long-time resident of Santa Barbara, he was Professor Emeritus of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Don specialized in linguistics and literary studies, and studied the works of Russian writers Vladimir Nabokov and Sasha Sokolov, authoring several books including Worlds in Regression: Some Novels of Vladimir Nabokov (1985). He founded the journal Nabokov Studies, which now annually awards the Donald Barton Johnson prize for its best essay. Don had an abiding love of wilderness and was an accomplished naturalist. He was born on June 15, 1933 in Indianapolis, IN and is preceded in death by his parents (Waylon Eugene and Mary Barton Johnson). He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sheila Golburgh Johnson, his step-daughter, Jessica Dora, his step-son Aaron Moody (Rebecca Vidra), and three great-granddaughters (Lili, Chloe, and Véla).
