Evelyn "Evie" Johnson

Evelyn Rose Johnson, 96, passed away April 17, 2015. “Evie” was born December 10, 1918 to first immigration Czech parents, Anna and James Kubec. Evie had two older sisters: Alice, nine years older and Adeline, seven years older. Together the daughters learned to cook and to sew beautifully, making all of their own stylish clothes. Evie graduated from high school at the age of 15 with honors. She then went to work as a secretary to help support the family.

Evie married Lyle Johnson in 1943. Lyle worked on the railroad with Evie’s sister Alice’s husband, Irv and Evie met him at her sister’s wedding. They started a long distance romance and married soon after Lyle graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines with a degree in Civil Engineering. They moved to Buffalo, NY, where son Todd was born. They returned to the Chicago area for Lyle’s work and built a home in Fox Lake. There they had a second son, Kris, who died at a young age.

Lyle was a very successful engineer and was recruited into the steel business. He moved the family to the Detroit area to work for McLouth Steel Corporation as a Vice President. The couple had two daughters Alice and Kristy.

In 1959 the couple purchased waterfront property on the island of Grosse Ile, Michigan, to build a home that had been featured in House Beautiful as a Hawaiian Modern home. The designs of the architecture are known for their clever management of views, seamless integration of building and site and a creative mix of modern and natural materials. The home was beautiful.

Evie loved her home and her life on Grosse Ile. Every morning she would look out her kitchen window and marvel at the view of the freighters traveling the Livingston Channel. She cooked and cleaned, joined the garden club and organized a group of “The 12 Crazy Knitters”. These 12 women would knit a bit, but where better known for the grand theme parties they held. Life on the water also offered year-round water activities with neighbors including sailing, power boating and ice boating in the winter.

Lyle died suddenly in 1976, leaving Evie a young widow in a home she could not bear to leave. She worked a few years as a secretary for the County Club supporting the manager activities and writing for the club newspaper. In 1986, Evie decided to sell her beloved home and move to Colorado where Alice and Todd lived.

Evie fell in love with Boulder. She found a wonderful condo with a mountain view and did an amazing job remodeling it to fit her select pieces of Dunbar furniture from her Michigan home. There she made wonderful friends, worked for the complex in the office, made her way “up the hill” to gamble a bit, became a fan of the Colorado Rockies (watching every game and helping the pitchers out by coaching them while she watched), and spending time with her Colorado families.

When Evie’s health failed in 2012, she moved to Denver to be close to daughter Alice. This past Easter, she celebrated the holiday with a toast of champagne! And today she would toast to all her family and friends and wish them well.

Evie was the devoted mother of Todd (Deborah) Johnson, Alice (Richard Goblirsch) Johnson and Kristy (Dave) Cameron. She loved her grandchildren Michael Johnson, Guy Goblirsch, Henry Goblirsch, Lindsey Perlmutter, James and John Cameron, great grandchildren Lauren and Calin Johnson, and beloved nephew Glenn Olsen. A celebration of her life will be held in Michigan in June. Contributions can be made in her honor to the charity of choice.