Lorraine Johnson

(September 26, 1943-October 13, 2017)

Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Community Activist

Lorraine Cota Johnson passed away at Scripps Chula Vista Friday, October 13, 2017. She was an active part of the South Bay Community for more than 35 years. Born in Artesia, New Mexico, Lorraine had deep roots in San Diego as the great granddaughter of an original Californio family that helped found Old Town. She attended Mar Vista High School where she met Larry Johnson, her husband for 29 years, who died in 1995.

After graduation, Lorraine had an experience that would change the course of her life and chart her life path as a community activist. At a friend's urging, she went with her to a local beauty school to learn more about the training and process. As she left the school knowing that she would not be able to afford the training, she turned back to the owner and asked if there were any scholarships available. Because of her tenacity, she was able to attend the school free of charge in exchange for doing clean up work around the school. This experience never left her and, as she began her life as a married woman, mother, and beautician, she dedicated herself to helping create opportunities for young people, especially for young women. In 1979, Lorraine started the Miss Bonita Pageant which eventually grew to several local pageants, eventually changing and morphing with the times to become the Miss South County Ambassador program. From 1979 until her diagnosis of end-stage renal failure seven years ago, Lorraine worked tirelessly to provide scholarship opportunities for young women in South County. Often these scholarships came right out of her own pocket. One of the most important aspects of the ambassador program was to provide young women with the opportunity to develop social capital by developing skills in communication and social networking.

Lorraine was a tireless champion of young people and believed that education was key to developing as a person. She instilled this sense of educational purpose, not only in her children and grandchildren, but the multitude of young women she mentored through the ambassador program and the community at-large.

Lorraine is survived by her two daughters, son, and son-in-law, three granddaughters and grandson, her 100 year-old mother, two sisters, three brothers, and a community richer because of her work. She will always be our "Miss Bonita."

Services for Lorraine Johnson will be held at Glen Abbey's Chapel of the Roses on Monday, October 23, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.