Arline P. Johnson

Arline Priscilla Johnson of Clinton died peacefully at the Hospice Unit of Middlesex Hospital on February 13, 2015. She was born on May 13, 1924 in Brockton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Emil and Gladys Hanson. Arline attended both North Park College (Chicago) and the University of Minnesota before graduating with a B.S. from the University of Chicago. As her children grew, she earned a fifth-year teaching certificate from the University of Connecticut and, at age 56, an M.S. from St. Joseph's College (West Hartford). Arline taught at Westbrook High School from 1966 to 1989, and in 1987 was named the Connecticut Home Economics Teacher of the Year. In her retirement, Arline was employed as a Mentor to starting teachers by the Connecticut Department of Education and volunteered as an English-language tutor for eight years with Literacy Volunteers in Westbrook. She was a long-time and devoted member of the Clinton United Methodist Church, leading small groups and singing in its choir through 2014. Arline was predeceased by her husband, the Reverend Courtney Johnson, in 1972. She was an involved minister's wife in each of his churches, including most recently in Clinton and the Middlefield Federated Church.

She is survived by four sons, Burton Johnson of Las Vegas, Nevada; Douglas (Carolyn) Johnson of West Bend, Wisconsin; Adrian Johnson of Clinton, Connecticut; Clifford (Nadine Horenstein) Johnson of Washington, D.C.; and a beloved daughter Cheryl (Stephen) Bayes of Lebanon, New Hampshire. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, her brother, Emery Hanson of Fort Myers, Florida, and her brother-in-law, Paul Norling of Orono, Maine.

Arline was a committed Christian woman, giving of herself to support others throughout her entire life. She will be remembered warmly and missed by her family, her church, her neighbors, and her former students and teaching colleagues. A Memorial Service will be held at the Clinton United Methodist Church on March 14, 2015 at 1:00 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Clinton United Methodist Church, 12 Commerce Street, Clinton, CT 06413.