Freda Sanders Johnson

Freda Jane Sanders was born June 14, 1926, in Lebanon, Indiana, to Fred Sanders and Mamye Gwin Sanders. The family lived on a small farm, so Freda was no stranger to hard work. She went to local schools and excelled academically, then graduated from MacMurray College in 1946 with honors. One of her lifelong interests was writing; she garnered awards for poetry and was active in Scribblers, the writers’ club in college. After college, she worked in communications, primarily in radio. By this time, several life-changing events had occurred. Her father had passed away and her older sister had been widowed before giving birth to her only child, James.

While Mamye managed the farm and cared for young James, both Freda and her sister, EvaMarie, became breadwinners in an industry which was at the time almost solely the domain of men: communications and journalism. In 1949, the family relocated to Neptune Beach, Florida, where Freda continued her career in radio and journalism. Freda became employed by the Prudential Company and edited company publications for the South Central Home Office in Jacksonville. She eventually became a sales representative and met Mack Johnson in the process. She married Mack at the tender age of 42 and inherited two teenaged daughters.

Freda and Mack became the first husband-and-wife sales team in the history of the agency, sharing offices in the Prudential building and at home. Their partnership could also be seen in the many projects, travels and other activities they enjoyed through the years, especially their much-loved retreat on the river in North Carolina. Freda was a member of Mensa and was also active in the Jacksonville Beach Pilot Club, Eastern Star, and the National League of American Pen Women. She was a choir member, organist, and on the vestry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, as well as editor of publications for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida.

Mack and Freda both had serious health issues in their later years, but stayed active in their pursuits until it was no longer possible. They moved into assisted living and enjoyed their remaining time together until Mack passed away in 2017 at the age of 94. Freda’s health gradually declined and she passed away peacefully on March 14, 2023, just three months shy of her 97th birthday. She was predeceased by her husband, parents and sister. She will be missed by her beloved nephew James Heaney (Deborah), his sons Michael Heaney (Nicole Sands) and Christopher Heaney (Meredith Costa), stepdaughters Jo Johnson and Jill Norwood and their children, Zarak Khan (Sunny Khan Frothingham), Jana Khan (Jon Preston) and Graham Norwood (Alli Trotman).

Details regarding a memorial service will be announced at a future date.