Donna Jeanette Close Johnson

Donna Johnson passed away peacefully surrounded by her children in Everett, Wash., on Aug. 23, 2021.

Donna Jeanette Close was born June 23, 1937, in Jamestown, N.Y., to Donald Michael Close and Jeanette Alta Lundquist.

Her younger sister, Diane was very dear to her. They were raised in the small villages of Bemus Point, and Greenhurst, N.Y. They had many cousins on both parents’ sides and enjoyed their Swedish and Irish family traditions throughout the years.

Donna attended Bemus Point High School and graduated in a class of 20 students, several of which remained lifelong friends. After school, Donna and sister Diane met cousins Eddie and Bobby Johnson at the Midway Park roller rink and began dating. Donna married the love of her life, John Edward (Ed) Johnson in a double wedding with Diane and Bob Johnson in 1957. The two couples built homes on the same block and started their families as neighbors.

Donna and Ed raised two daughters and a son and showered them with love and attention through all the years of their lives. Donna was kind, never raised her voice, and never said a bad word about anyone. Donna cherished being involved with her family, her neighborhood, her church, and her community. She volunteered as a poll worker during elections, as a school room mom, a PTA member and a Girl Scout leader for her daughters. She attended all of her son’s baseball, basketball, and softball games. Donna made life-long friends on Indiana Avenue where the ladies had a monthly crafting group. There were constant neighborhood gatherings with the husbands and annual parties with the kids. Donna especially enjoyed Christmas Eve with extended family and Sunday afternoon picnics at the Viking Lake Park.

Donna was a member of Epworth Christ United Methodist Church where she helped at Sunday school and attended Couple’s Class events. She never missed watching her husband and son play on the church’s famed softball team.

Donna was the planner for family trips to every state east of the Mississippi and many provinces of Canada. Eventually, she visited every state in the United States, especially enjoying national parks, capital cities, monuments, lakes and beaches. She never let a vista point go by without a quick stop. She filled her kids with such a sense of wonder about our world.

Donna’s first jobs were at Parker’s Drive-in, The Casino in Bemus Point, and Marlin Rockwell, where she was also on the “Sparkettes” company basketball team. She later worked at Impressions Printing and Jonethis-Larson Advertising in Jamestown. In 1981, Ed’s career took them to Seattle, and their children all soon followed. Jobs took Ed and Donna to New Orleans and then Baltimore, where Donna worked at Bruno Printing and the University of Maryland. Ed and Donna made their final move to Everett, Wash., in 1992, where Donna joined the Everett Newcomers. She greatly enjoyed her monthly bunko gathering. She and Ed loved the Seattle Mariners and attended many games each season.

Donna and Ed traveled the West and took many trips to Canada, Hawaii and Alaska with friends and family. They often hosted old friends and showed them all the wonderful sites in the Seattle and Vancouver areas. They made several trips to Sweden to stay with family, and on the last special trip, they showed their grandchildren the land and relatives they held dear.

Donna’s true happy place was her home. She loved her neighbors of Boulevard Bluffs and spent her free time reading and gardening. She welcomed bunnies and birds in her yard, and marveled at the blue herons and bald eagles that soared over their house, just off the Puget Sound.

Donna was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years, Ed Johnson, who passed away Nov. 9, 2019.

She is survived by her sister, Diane; children: Laurie, Dan and Cindy; daughter-in-law, Cindy; son-in-law, David; grandchildren: Carly, Axel, Josh and Derek.

A celebration of the lives of Donna and Ed will be held in Jamestown, N.Y., in the coming months.

In lieu of memorials, please take time to be kind and stop to smell the roses, just as Donna always did.