Obituary of Joan Elizabeth Johnson

JOAN E. JOHNSON Joan Elizabeth Johnson, 83, of Englewood, died peacefully at her home with her family on Wednesday, August 12, 2009. She was born on May 13, 1926 in St. Albans, England. Joan moved to this area 22 years ago from Chester, CT. She was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Englewood. She is pre-deceased by her loving parents, Edmund and Mary Bennett; loving brother Arthur Bennett and sister, Olive Bennett. Lynne's Tribute: Dear God in Heaven, I just wanted to say HI to my Mom. I know you remember her as a young girl outside of war-torn London living with her family. Then sailing alone to Ellis Island to be with the love of her life. She relied on her new-found friends while waiting for my dad to recover from T.B. together they made a grand life for their children. Mom's strugle with an aneurysm, back surgery, debilitating arthritis and finally cancer never stopped her heart from caring for others. She fought valiantly and through it all remained a steadfast fan of your Son. I saw her "shooting star" on Wednesday night and know she arrived at St. Peter's Pearly Gates pain-free and smiling. That sign will forever comfort me. And, I know her kindness and homor will never be forgotten by her family and friends. Please tell my Mom that I love her ....and miss her. Franks Tribute: Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge some people on behalf of our family - my dad, my sister Lynne, my wife Sarah, our son Reese and myself. Thank you to everyone gathered here who helped make our mom's life special - the friendships, the connections, the little things that bring meaning to our lives. Thank you to the Tidewell Hospice Organization. They are truly a blessing to the families who must face these difficult times. They accomplish this with incredible compassion and dignity and our family is truly thankful. Thank you to the Lutheran Redeemer Church, Pastor Cress and the entire congregation. Your support has helped my dad and our family immensely throughout this period. Thank you to the Englewood Community Funeral Home and all you have done to assist us through this very difficult time. You have gone above and beyond our family's expectations. And personally, I would like to thank my dad and my sister Lynne. I live in Pennsylvania and my family is unable to visit but for a few times a year. I am so thankful that Lynne and my dad were here, day in and day out to care for our mom throughout the past few years. Both of them are truly the rock and foundation which makes our family so special. As a family, we are so very proud of our mom who, as a young war bride so very long ago, left everyone and everything she knew, to start a new life with our dad in America. She worked a variety of clerical jobs to help make ends meet but wherever she was - she made friends because throughout her life, our mom was a people person. She was always there for support and guidance through school, little league cub scouts, church functions and so much more. My sister Lynne and my parents have a unique relationship, forged in the '60's. Lynne is adventurous, strong willed, independent and a definite free spirit. Our dad did not always share this particular outlook on life. Our mom was in the middle and she took to heart both sides of the equation, mediating as she went. As the years went by, our dad softened a bit and Lynne moved a little closer to the middle and I believe our mom had a lot to do with that progression. A tribute to mom's skills is when Lynne moved to Florida just up the road to be there for them. Dad and Lynne"s close and loving relationship will always make mom smile. For my part, I finally met the right person and our mom finally got to be a nana. To Reese, nana was "Floppy Skin," "Cyclops," sneaking snacks, playing games and listening to the jabber of her special little guy. Mom and dad spent hours filling gift boxes to send North - trinkets, treasures, pictures of Florida wildlife - and he looked forward to his own mini-birthday each month. During one of our phone calls after mom passed away, someone made it very clear that being nana to Reese completed her. What a beautiful thing to say! Another tribute to both our mom and dad is the fact that all of my college friends still send Christmas cards with family pictures. Now, I graduated over 35 years ago and the bond my parents forged so long ago with them is still strong. Mom became the official "surrogate mom" for many who were not as lucky as Lynne and I. Once again, she was always there, always interested, always "MaJ." As the years went by, I realized that what my friends had with our parents was special but not unique. Everywhere they lived, from Chester, Connecticut to Englewood, Florida, they made friends. Food, loyal, honest and strong friends - just like them. As you know, our dad is the quiet one and mom can talk to a tree. Mom would get the conversation started, draw people in with her still noticeable British accent and her self deprecating humor, find some common ground and the friendship took hold and blossomed from there. Joan and Bob have been a team for many years and they have always made people feel comfortable and loved. One half of that team has moved on to a better place and there is no doubt that our mom is in heaven. I would like to share two little stories before I close. After mom had passed away last Wednesday, dad, Lynne and I sat on the coach holding hands - blessed to have had her for so long, telling mom stories and comforting each other. When we finally got up to go to bed, Lynne said she needed some air and wanted to check out the constellations on such a special night. When she was scanning the heavens, she saw a shooting star streaking across the sky. We all know who that was. And finally, in the mornings, our dad always runs the stars and stripes up the flagpole. On the morning after mom passed away, he asked me to raise the union jack as a little tribute to her. I did, and as I turned around, a brilliant rainbow had filled the sky. Once again, our mom got the last word. In her later years, our mom appreciated even more the little things that make life so special - spaghetti night at the legion, a glass of sherry before dinner, Lynne popping in to say hello, those Sunday night phone calls where dad and I couldn't get a word in edgewise, getting a card off to someone who needed to hear from her, a trip to the beach to see the Sunset, a card game of "pay me" with friends, the newest pictures of Reese, watching golf or baseball on TV, catching up with news of people in the park or back in Connecticut, talking to aunt Mary when she called from England - I could go on and on with this endless list. The common thread of these little things that paint the picture of our mom is that they all included family and friends. She was "no frills beautiful" and enjoyed the life she and dad had built for themselves. Everyone here, and those unable to attend will greatly miss Joan Johnson. Please celebrate her life, a very full and wonderful life, by remembering all those little things that we all remember are what made her unique and a very special wife, mother, nana and friend. Joan was a loving war bride and devoted wife to her husband of 64 years, Robert W.; a loving mother to her daughter, Lynne of Port Charlotte, FL and her son: Frank and his wife Sarah of East Stroudsburg, PA; a loving Nana to her special guy, Reese; a loving sister to Mary Jowle, of St. Albans, England; a loving aunt and great-aunt to her family in England, Connecticut, Maine and Florida. A "Special Mom" to her adopted family ~ the Third Floor Shawnee Boys of ESSC; she was a good and loyal friend to all who had the privilege of getting to know her. A Service of Memory will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 11 AM at the Englewood Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 3070 S. McCall Road, with the Reverend James T. Kress, Sr., Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, officiating. Memorial services will be held at the Redeemer Lutheran Church at a later date. To share a memory, visit www.englewoodfh.com Englewood Community Funeral Home & Cremation Services have been selected to handle the arrangements.