Jeanne Johnson | 1928-2023

Loving wife and devoted mother, Jeanne Johnson, 95, of Woodinville, passed away on July 11, 2023, surrounded by her family. Born in Dallas, Texas, to Elsie and Fred Dickerson, Jeanne lived and grew up in Santa Rosa, California. She is well known for her coronation, at age four, as Jean Dickerson- Santa Rosa Floral Parade Juvenile Queen. After graduating from Santa Rosa High School, Jeanne worked as a long-distance telephone operator for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph in Santa Rosa. Jeanne felt a calling, and with her best friend, Marguerite, enlist- ed as a Wave in the US Navy, where she served at the Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois. Here she met the love of her life, Bill Johnson, also serving in the Navy. They were married on 12/12/1952. Their life in the Navy with their young family, kept them moving the next 20 years, from California, to Illinois, Japan, and Hawaii, relocating every 2-3 years. While Bill was deployed on various ships for six to nine months at a time, Jeanne became a single parent- head of the household, homemaker, caretaker, disciplinarian, etc. She did this with skill, organization, and love, waiting for Bill to return. When Bill retired from the Navy, they settled in Allyn, Washington. Jeanne worked for Naval Sea Systems Command at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and later at the Naval Air Station at Sand Point in Seattle. Bill’s job as a mechanical engineer took them to Ohio and back to Japan, with extensive travel throughout Asia.

Jeanne was bit by the travel bug early on and continued to travel over the years with her daughter, to Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, Italy, Greece, England, and Costa Rica. She had an amazing women’s group who visited such places as, the Amazon, Machu Picchu, Vietnam, Nepal, Istanbul, India, and Egypt. Seeing the world and appreciating different cultures truly defined who she was. Many hours of cruising on Puget Sound in the summers were enjoyed by Jeanne and Bill, family and friends on (his second love), the Liberty. All grandkids have fond memories of summers on the boat and learning to love the water, the beauty of this region, but mostly, time spent with their grandparents. Jeanne is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bill, brothers Richard and Bob Dickerson, and sister Ruth Equi. She is survived by her son, Bob (Ellen) of Bremerton; daughter, Kathie (Rob) of Woodinville; Dick, brother-in-law of Grapeview. Grandchildren include Kerry (Shanda), Collin, Laura (Steven). Great-grandkids include Easton, Evelyn, Jackson (Kerry) and Mason (Laura). Jeanne was a delight to all who knew her. She was fun-loving, ad- venturous and dedicated to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. To be her friend meant love and loyalty to a fault. Jeanne was a committed member of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church in Woodinville, where her faith and spirituality brought her purpose and peace. She will join her beloved Bill in the Woodinville Cemetery.