Rita D. Johnson

Born in Concord, she was the daughter of Alfred and Irene (Porter) Dane.

She was a graduate of Concord High School, Class of 1951. Over the years, she coordinated many class reunions.

Rita married her sweetheart, Charles (Lefty) P. Johnson, Jr. in 1952.

She worked at Blue Cross /Blue Shield before raising a family.

She was president of the East Concord Lamplighters and a past member of the East Concord Garden Club. She loved spending time with her children, watching them compete in swim competitions at the Concord Country Club, summers at Northwood Lake, and teaching her grandchildren to swim in her pool in Contoocook. She loved hosting parties, especially on the 4th of July, with her children and grandchildren.

Rita worked at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic in Concord as the switchboard operator. She loved “running the whole clinic” where she made many friends and helped create the “Clinic Classics”. Her greatest personal achievement was to begin tap dancing at age 50, and continued until her retirement. She loved performing for her friends and family and winning dance competitions with the Concord Dance Academy.

Rita is predeceased by her husband and her son, Charles “Chippa” P. Johnson III, her parents, her two sisters, Irene Sargent and Dorothy Reed; her three brothers, Alfred Dane, Walter Dane and Wesley Dane.

She is survived by her daughter, Jill Power and her husband, Roland Durloo of Loudon, five grandchildren, Nicholas Power and his wife, Maria of Delta Junction, AK; Alyssa Albert of Sanbornton; Meghan Berthelette of Loudon and Nicaragua; Charles “Rusty” Johnson IV and his wife, Jessica of Colorado Springs, CO and Colleen Bixby and her husband, Richard of Warner;

five great grandchildren, Olivia, Makayla, Hunter, Coen and Tucker;

many nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors.

Visiting hours will be from 2:00pm to 4:00 pm and 6:00pm to 8:00 pm

on Tuesday, July 8 at Bennett Funeral Home, 209 North Main Street, Concord.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, July 9 at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Blossom Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the CRVNA Hospice Program, 30 Pillsbury Street, Concord NH 03301.

The Bennett Funeral Home of Concord is in charge of the arrangements.