Jeanne Perry White Johnson

Jeanne White Johnson, born July, 31, 1936 passed peacefully away at approximately 1:30 a.m. at Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. A longtime resident of Jackson and Flowood, Jeanne lived here for over 64 years, before moving to Birmingham in 2024, to be closer to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughter Debbie (Perkins), son-in-law Chip Perkins, son Charles White (Mary), 5 grandchildren, Charles Perkins, Sarah Tuttle, Elizabeth Lynch, Matthew White, and Virginia Ward. Those grandchildren blessed her with a total of 10 great-grandchildren: Caleb, Lydia, Clark, Ainsley, Charlie, Annabelle, James, Robert Royal, Haynes, and Mary Sims.

Jeanne was pre-deceased by her husband of 56 years whom she married shortly after both graduated from Ole Miss – C Royal White, and second husband of 7 years, Dr Richard Johnson, as well as numerous close friends and acquaintances all over Mississippi. An avid tennis player for 40 years, Jeanne was a constant presence at River Hills Club in Jackson.

Longtime members of First Presbyterian Church, Jeanne and Royal helped plant Lakeland Presbyterian Church in Flowood, in 1990, where Jeanne provided the flowers for services each Sunday for 18 years before remarrying and re-attending First Presbyterian. Jeanne and her close friends spent 6 years beginning in 1966 raising funds for the start of FPDS by handmaking Christmas ornaments – quite a few of which survive today (and one of which is of Archie Manning).

An incredible mother and Grandmother, Jeanne dispensed a lot of wisdom over the years with insights for both kids and grandkids (“Mothers don’t come in medium”) and spent a good part of the 1970s, traveling the Southeast with daughter Debbie, towing a double horse trailer behind an Oldsmobile station wagon loaded up with 2 jumping horses – Irish Coffee and Beau – as they competed in horse shows across the region.

An avid fan of football in general – and Ole Miss football in particular -- Jeanne debated the perils and benefits of the transfer portal and NIL (and – of course - coaching changes) with all of us, right up until the very end. She was blessed to see the end of the best Ole Miss football season in many years and enjoyed every minute of it.

As both a devoted follower of Christ, and someone who spent a great deal of time in the Bible, Jeanne faced aging and the pre-deceasing of friends all around her with a quiet strength and steady faith. Her confidence in what lay ahead allowed her to endure the sorrow of separation from spouses and close friends with peace, anchored by the belief that relationships are the only possessions that truly endure.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson on Monday, 1/19 with visitation at 10:30 followed immediately by the service in the Sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to:

First Presbyterian Church https://fpcjackson.org/about/giving/.

Lakeland Presbyterian Church https://lakelandpres.org/giving/.