Shirley Ann Johnson

Shirley was born February 22, 1935, in Gallatin, Missouri – the second-oldest child in what would eventually become a family of six. Shirley grew up on a small farm in Gallatin, gaining an appreciation for living things and developing a resourcefulness that would serve her the rest of her life. More than just about anything else, Shirley loved animals – and imparted that love to her children and grandchildren, most of whom, today, are hopeless and irredeemable animal lovers themselves.

The list of dogs the family adopted over the years is almost as long as Shirley’s life itself: Snowball, Maggie, Christina, Max (twice), Tish, Sassy, Duke, Jodie, Cowboy, Roxanne, Joe, Penny Jo, Meggie, Mr. Chips, Milo. Breeds ranging from Pomeranians to Great Danes … indoor dogs, outdoor dogs, hunting dogs, couch-princess dogs. And don’t forget a handful of cats, a few horses and the occasional guinea pig.

Needless to say, the local veterinarians and pet food sellers loved the Johnsons (pro tip: Dog food is cheaper by volume when purchased in 50-pound bags).

After graduating from North Kansas City High School (class of 1953), Shirley entered the workforce as a secretary in the Kansas City Board of Trade office of Corn Products Refining Co. While the job was temporary, the connection she made with a young man named Wayne Johnson would endure for nearly 70 years. Shirley and Wayne met while they both worked at the Board of Trade, sparking a courtship that led to their marriage on April 27, 1956 – 14 months after their first date. Wayne and Shirley quickly built their life together; by 1966, the couple had grown to a family of six and Shirley settled into her life’s most important role: that of mother, nurturer-in-chief and the glue that binded the family.

Shirley and Wayne’s relationship represented the best kind of balance: While Wayne might be described as a force of nature, Shirley was unmistakably a quiet storm.

In fact, Shirley herself represented great balance. Sweetness and strength. A smile and fierce determination. Compassion with an unwavering sense of what’s right. The yin, the yang, perfection.

After a roughly 20-year stint as a city and suburban resident, wife and mother, Shirley returned to the country in 1975 when the family took a leap and bought a home on 15 acres east of Paola, Kan. – in the process becoming rural life stylers long before the term was ever in vogue. Paola remained home for Wayne and Shirley for more than 40 years before they once again returned to Overland Park in 2015.

Back in rural America, Shirley rediscovered her country heart, presiding annually over an incredible family vegetable garden that was more than an acre in size, planting and tending along with Wayne a small orchard in the large side yard and joining a county chapter of the Extension Homemakers Units, eventually assuming presidency of the chapter and forging close friendships with other rural Kansas women. She also regularly began entering her handiwork in the annual Miami County (Kansas) Fair, taking home countless blue ribbons for tasty creations like jams, pickled vegetables and more, along with non-edibles like blankets and clothing. Shirley was a renowned baker, known for a few specialties like her annual Christmas cake, her triple-chocolate cake that was a birthday celebration staple and the beloved (and labor-intensive!) butterhorns that graced every Thanksgiving table.

In their later years, Shirley and Wayne parlayed their lifelong passion for antiques into a successful and well-known local business, Quail Ridge Antiques in Paola. They could often be found tending the store with – in a surprise to no one – their beloved dog, Penny.

Shirley was a passionate sports fan and thrilled to see her Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs both return to glory in recent years after long droughts of futility. She also loved to spend time with family and friends on game nights, more than holding her own in marathons of poker, pitch and the all-but-official game of the Johnson clan, Wahoo.

She was preceded in death by her beloved Wayne; her mother Ruth De Palma; father Eugene Alexander; sister Carol (Alexander) Eisele; brother Robert “Bud” Alexander; son-in-law Mike Lieberman; mother-in-law Edith Johnson; father-in-law Norman Johnson; and countless in-laws. As the last surviving child/spouse-of-child of Norman and Edith Johnson, Shirley’s passing marks the closing of a storied generational chapter in the Mayse/Johnson family.

Shirley is survived by daughter Beverly Lieberman (Mike Bennett) of Paola, Kan.; daughter Terri Johnson of Overland Park, KS; son Deron Johnson (Walter Bass) of Lenexa, KS; son Mark Johnson (Diane) of Strafford, MO; sister Patricia Alexander of Campo, CA; granddaughter Carmen (Lieberman) Lewis (Mike) of Osawatomie, KS; granddaughter Sarah (Lieberman) Wobker (Bo Bohlander) of Paola, KS; grandson Cameron Lieberman of Mission, KS; granddaughter Melissa (Johnson) Kotowicz (Scott) of Springfield, MO; cherished family friend Lisa Deichler of Overland Park, KS; numerous nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren; and longtime canine companion Milo.

A visitation will take place from 10-11 a.m., Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Mo., 64131, followed by a celebration of life funeral service from 11-noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or Tracy's Paws Rescue, P.O. Box 849, Hondo, Texas 78861.