Jean Lee Johnson
Jean Lee Shoemaker Johnson, 78, of Pelican Bay, Willis, Texas, lost her 14-year battle with Huntington’s disease and passed on May 17, 2014.
Jean was born Nov. 30, 1935, in New Lexington, Ohio, and is survived by her husband, of 63 years, Colonel, USAF (ret) Edward “Ed” Johnson of Willis, Texas; sons, Mark (Kathy) Johnson of Bellaire, Texas, Scott (Karen) Johnson of Tomball, Texas, and Paul Johnson of Amarillo, Texas; daughter, Leslie (Monty) Seymour of Lipan, Texas; 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.
Jean was predeceased by her parents, Sherman and Melissa (Bina) Shoemaker; eight sisters; and one brother.
Jean attended McLuney, New Lexington and Plainfield, Ohio, schools when her family moved to Coshocton County in 1947. Jean enjoyed being a school bus patrol girl, a cheerleader, and an English scholarship exam honorable mention recipient in high school. Her passions in her adult life were duplicate bridge and world travel. She was a duplicate bridge director for 17 years at various locations in the United States and overseas, winning many competitive bridge events.
Stateside Air Force assignments took Jean to New Mexico; Texas; Massachusetts; New Jersey; Washington, D. C.; Maryland; California; Alabama and Hawaii; and as a lover of motor coach travel, she visited every other state in the U.S. She also lived in Scotland, Portugal and Saudi Arabia. Loving home decorating, she did a wonderful job making each of her 34 residences a “home.”
Some highlights of Jean’s life were her elections to Air Force Officers’ Wives Club leadership positions in many assignments and her presidency of the Pecan Plantation Women’s Club in Granbury, Texas.
Early in her married years Jean was a secretary for Raytheon Corporation Missile Division. Later in Saudi Arabia, she was a secretary for the Saudi Aramco Oil Company. Her diary account of experiences during the Gulf War is an interesting part of the book she wrote titled “An Ohio Coal Miner’s Daughter and Her Lifetime Experiences and Travels.” She also received a commendation from the Headquarters, U.S. Army for hosting members of the U.S. and British military for visits, meals and for supporting their health and welfare preceding and following the Gulf War while in Saudi Arabia. At her husband’s retirement in 1981, Jean received a Personal Achievement Award for her many contributions to the Air Force from the Commanding General of Pacific Air Forces. Jean was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
The family would like to express thanks to the many caregivers over the past years with special thanks to hospice caregivers Elizabeth Marietta and Teresa Drews, to her long time hospice nurse, Shelly Kneek, and attendant Annie Robinson of Odyssey Hospice Services in Conroe, Texas. Over the years, the family has also had remarkable support from many friends and family, who deserve recognition and thanks for their love, prayers and kind wishes.
Family memorial services will be held in Willis, Texas, at 1 p.m. May 24, 2014, at Teresa’s Assisted Living, 13078 FM 2432 Road, with Pastor Ron Ellis officiating. Memorial Services will also be conducted later in Ohio at the Plainfield United Methodist Church, with interment following at the Plainfield Cemetery. Jean was a member of the Plainfield United Methodist Church, was a previous president of the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and was married there to Ed in 1951.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials be donated to the Plainfield United Methodist Church, c/o Postmaster, Plainfield, Ohio 43836.
The family is being assisted by McNutt Funeral Home, Conroe, Texas, and Given Dawson Funeral Home, Coshocton, Ohio.