Lynne Carol Hunter-Johnson

On August 15, 1943, Lynne Carol Hunter-Johnson was born to Jeri McGaither in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, Lynne was also cared for by William and Anna Roberts. She was raised to be independent and to work hard to achieve her dreams. As a young girl, Lynne was social and well-liked by many. Some of her best childhood friends were Sandra Mayo and Gloria Stewart.

Lynne was a bright student with clear goals in mind. She attended Hirsch High School and Jones Commercial High School (now known as Jones College Prep). After graduating high school, Lynne attended courses at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Loyola University. As a sign of her dedication and commitment to a career in personnel management, Lynne was a Human Resource Executive for 35 years with Brunswick Corporation.

Lynne was recognized for excelling in the human resources field with a number of awards, notably as the first female recipient of Brunswick’s Corporate President’s Award, Brunswick’s Industrial Relations Professional of the Year, Humana’s Health Insurance Executive of the Year, and as one of Parkway Community Center’s “Business Women of the Year”. Lynne also served on the board of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. While serving for 10 years as President of the Midwest Chapter of the International Association for Human Resource Information Management (IHRIM), she was proud to chair IHRIM’s 2003 national convention at Caesars' Palace in Las Vegas.

On August 14, 1982, Lynne married Rufus “Rudy” Lewis Johnson at the O’Hare Hilton Hotel of Chicago, Illinois. Lynne and Rudy owned the Johnson Group, a management consulting firm for events, conventions, and human resource services. The Johnson Group was the perfect vehicle for Lynne to share her creative ideas and well-respected problem-solving and negotiation skills to help clients, friends, and family plan numerous special occasions.

Lynne was blessed with two children, James and Jill, and later with a granddaughter Halle, who affectionately calls her “Gram Gram." Being a mother and “Gram Gram” was truly one of her favorite roles in her life. Lynne also loved all “puppies," meaning any and all dogs of any age, breed, or demeanor. She cherished "Rizzo" and all of her friends’ “puppies” that she could adopt.

Not only was she beloved by her family, but also by her many friends. Lynne was grateful for her nearly 70 year friendship with Sandra Mayo and for her close friend Harold McRae. She cherished her friends whom she lost too early: Eunice Chaney, Toni Pittman, Cassandra Reese, and Cam Tanner.

Lynne was always ready to jump in and help service-oriented organizations. She was an active board member for the Institute of Positive Mental Health and served on committees for the Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago and The DuSable Museum. Lynne also truly enjoyed the special friendships she developed while a member of the Chicago Sophisticates and while serving as Chapter President, Treasurer, Executive Board Representative, and Parliamentarian.

When Lynne’s retirement finally arrived, she initially moved from the northern Illinois suburbs to downtown Chicago to be closer to city events and experiences. A few years later, she relocated to Las Vegas to take advantage of the endless sunny days and substituted a pool for her wish to be near an ocean. Retirement provided Lynne an opportunity to tackle new and interesting activities, catch up with friends, and attend group outings.

In retirement, Lynne was delighted to be a TOPS Inc. chapter Treasurer, then State Advocate for Southern Nevada, and then to chair the TOPS Nevada State Recognition Days. Through TOPS, Lynne succeeded in her own personal journey, found long-lasting friendships, provided encouragement to members and enjoyed celebrating their achievements. She stayed active by hosting and joining old and new friends to celebrate birthdays and wedding anniversaries, which included social outings with her Diva Dolls. Lynne was also excited during the many months she spent volunteering for President Barack Obama's campaigns.

Lynne loved all things purple, was passionate about full-figure modeling, and, as a proud Leo, collected lion artwork and figurines. She also loved to travel. Her favorite vacation destinations included Maui, San Diego, Miami, New York, and Laughlin. Her favorite international excursions were to Sweden and Denmark. She kept busy by attending concerts and shows with her favorite singers and was always interested in improving her technology skills by exploring new features on her iPhone and laptop computer.

Lynne’s faith was important to her and she was a member of the Mountain View Church in Las Vegas for over 15 years, where one of her favorite services was Christmas Eve mass. She most loved spending time with her children and granddaughter Halle, who she always told, “love you lots."

On June 3, 2023, Lynne passed away in Las Vegas. She is survived by her husband of over 40 years, Rudy; her son, James; daughter, Jill; son-in-law, Brian; granddaughter, Halle; “daughter,” Tricia; and her caring friends. Throughout her life, Lynne tried to ensure that her family, friends, and everyone whose life she touched knew they were important, supported, and loved. She was a pillar in their lives and will be deeply missed.