Joyce A. Johnson
Joyce A. Johnson
Joyce (Shanahan) Johnson, 95, of Jamestown, NY, died on March 30, 2023, at Lutheran Jamestown, one mile from where she spent her teenage years in the family’s home on Curtis Street, and with her grandson’s painting of the family’s Chautauqua Lake cottage hanging on the wall over her bed.
Born in 1928, on the cusp of the Great Depression, the men in her family were brick layers, and her father, John Shanahan, owned a construction business. Her mother, Grace (Lundborg) Shanahan, was a strong woman who would row a young Joyce and her siblings across Chautauqua Lake from their previous home in Fluvanna to visit Celeron Park amusement park.
She came of age in a vibrant Jamestown full of hope and industry during WWII. She graduated from Jamestown High School where she established life-long friendships and attended JHS reunions late into her years. She sang in the A Capella Choir and was always ready to break into song, an endearing habit that continued right up until her death despite struggles with dementia.
Joyce met her husband, Glenn, while she was working at the Bico Ice Cream and Dairy. Just back from serving in the U.S. Army in Europe, Glenn was on his way to the Pacific but, happily, only got as far as San Diego when the War ended. They married in 1948 and lived in Buffalo, then relocated to Chicago and Philadelphia before returning to the Buffalo area.
The family’s Chautauqua Lake cottage was the center of the Shanahan and Johnson families and the hub for large family gatherings. Fourth of July at the cottage was the “greatest day of the year”, according to Joyce. She was patriotic, loved the fireworks and flares around the lake, and always ensured that the American flag was hanging on her home. Joyce and Glenn entertained frequently and eventually retired here.
She loved the Buffalo Bills through thick and thin. The couple held season tickets for 30 years and attended the Superbowl in 1992. A great entertainer, she hosted countless dinner parties for Glenn’s colleagues and spouses, their fellow Ascension Lutheran Church members, her bridge club, and neighborhood friends, often leading sing-alongs around the piano. Joyce befriended people wherever she went and acquired lasting friendships along the way.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Glenn H. Johnson Jr., who died in 2009; her sister, June Carlson, and brother, John “Jack” Shanahan. She is survived by her sister, Margaret “Peggy” Shanahan Bloomquist of Jamestown; her four children: Curtis Johnson of Falconer, Craig Johnson (Laura) of Derby, Colin Johnson (Lisa) of Jamestown, Constance Johnson (Jay) of Maryland; two grandchildren: Matthew Johnson (Sarah) of Illinois; and Christine Johnson Rapp of San Diego; four great-grandchildren: Violet, Oliver, Isaac, and Alexandra; and several nieces and nephews.
A service will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 11 am at the Kiantone Congregational Church, 646 Kiantone Road, Jamestown, NY 14701.
For those who wish to donate in Joyce’s honor, the family suggests: Chautauqua Lake Association (chautauqualakeassociation.org), Chautauqua County Humane Society (chqhumane.org), or Jamestown Meals on Wheels (jmstmow.com).