Johnny Herrington

John Donald Herrington, Sr., known as Johnny Herrington (February 2, 1930 – July 14, 2018), was a businessman who served in municipal government in his adopted city of Springhill in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana. A member of the city council for five years, he served two stints as mayor from 1978 to 1986 and 1995 to 2006. His career ended with his defeat in 2006 by Carroll Breaux, the still serving mayor, an Independent and the only non-Democrat thus far to hold the office of Springhill mayor. Breaux, however, is not a candidate for a fourth term in the nonpartisan blanket primary scheduled for November 6, 2018, in conjunction with congressional races nationwide.

Herrington was born in Bastrop in Morehouse Parish north of Monroe to Eron Franklin Herrington (1901-1975) and the former Susie Mae Fillingame (1906-1976). A longtime Springhill resident, Herrington was active through the Webster Parish Industrial Board in the location of businesses to the area. During his time as mayor, the city opened the Frank Anthony Community Activity Center, which hosts live musical groups on West Church Street. He lost his bid for a sixth nonconsecutive term as mayor, 973 votes (55.4 percent) to 782 (44.6 percent), to current Mayor Carroll Breaux in the non-partisan blanket primary held on September 30, 2006. For several years, Herrington owned and operated a musical theater in the resort city of Branson, Missouri. He served on the Council of Aging and was the founder, owner, and operation of Herrington Vendors. He was a Mason, a Shriner, and a member of the First United Methodist Church of Springhill.^[1]

The widower of the former Bobye Jean Hobgood (1933-2008), the daughter of Marshall Hobgood (1900-1965) and the former Ina Belle Osbourn,^[2] Herrington had three children, Kristi Gayle Emanuel and husband, Mickey, of Rusk in Cherokee County, Texas, John D. "Donnie" Herrington, Jr., and wife, Cody, of Emerson in Columbia County, Arkansas, and Ricky Lane Herrington and wife, Sheri, of Springhill. His sister, Mary Eloise Boucher^[1] (born 1923), was the wife of developer Jesse L. Boucher, the Springhill mayor from 1958 to 1962. Herrington was an uncle by marriage to the actresses Savannah Smith Boucher and Sherry Boucher, the latter the third wife of actor George Peppard (1928-1994). Both were daughters of Jesse and Mary Eloise Boucher.^[3]

Services for Herrington were held on July 16, 2018, at the First United Methodist Church of Springhill with the Reverend Dr. Jonathan King and Dr. Charles Payne officiating. Interment alongside his wife is at Springhill Cemetery.^[1]