Debra Lee Johnson

Our hearts are heavy as we say goodbye to Debra “Debbie” Lee Johnson (Plave), who passed away unexpectedly, yet, peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, April 20th, 2025, after a brief illness at U of M Sparrow.

Born on November 24, 1952, Debbie grew up in Wells, Michigan, and graduated from Escanaba High School in 1971. While raising her children, she provided home daycare and worked at Super One Foods. Later in life, she moved to lower Michigan and spent 20 dedicated years with the Michigan Retailers Association in Lansing before retiring.

In retirement, Debbie embraced life with joy—traveling to tropical destinations with her beloved husband Mark, gardening, and cherishing every moment with her grandchildren. She loved being surrounded by family and friends, always bringing warmth, wit, and her unmistakable bubbly personality to every gathering. Her kindness and love for others were truly her trademark.

Family meant everything to Debbie. She leaves behind her loving husband, Mark Johnson; daughter, Stephanie Arts of Oshkosh, Wisconsin; son, Cory (Bethany) Arts of St. Johns; and grandchildren, Emma, Ava, Bentley, Easton, Landon, and Jordan. She is also survived by her sisters, Sandy (Joe) Gelina, Barb (Mike) Verhamme, Connie (Brian) Gilbert, and Janet (Bradley) Plave-Smith, as well as many nieces and nephews who will carry on her memory with love, laughter, palm trees, and flamingos. Debbie was preceded in death by her son, William “Billy” Arts, and her parents, Robert and Clara Plave.

Please join us in honoring Debbie’s life on Saturday, April 26th, at Pilgrim Global Methodist Church, 2965 West Parks Road, Saint Johns, MI. The service will begin at 11:00 AM. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the start of the service and a luncheon to follow the service. All who knew and loved her are welcome.

An additional memorial will take place in Escanaba, Michigan at a later date and time to be determined.