Marlene Bernice Johnson

Marlene Bernice Johnson, a dedicated teacher who cherished children and loved to travel (visiting every continent except Antarctica,) passed away peacefully on September 30th, 2025, at the age of 93, in the presence of her daughter, Cheri.

Marlene Bernice Johnson was born in Bacon, Georgia, in 1932 to George and Esther Martin. They soon moved to North Dakota to be closer to Esther’s family. From North Dakota, the family moved to Washington, living in the Bellingham area before settling in Bremerton in the early 40s. It was there, in the 4th grade, that she met her lifelong friend, Georgia Hutterson. She attended Bremerton High School before going on to Olympic Jr. College and then continued her education at Central Washington State College. She met her husband, David A. Johnson, at Olympic Jr. College during a production of Mikado. David had a small part in the show, and Marlene was a makeup artist who painted hair on his chest. They soon began dating, became engaged while attending CWSC, and were married In Bremerton on September 19, 1953. They completed their bachelor’ s degrees at CWSC a year later. After relocating to Port Orchard, Marlene and David welcomed Cheryl Lynn Johnson into their lives in 1955. Of all her travels, Marlene had a special affinity for Hawaii. The family also shared many happy memories in Asia and Europe, where they toured around in the VW camper van they purchased at the factory in Germany. Marlene and Dave also enjoyed safaris in Africa, visiting the Galapagos Islands, and the Great Wall of China, to name a few.

Though she relished travel, Marlene’s favorite role was being a grandma. She treasured her time with her grandchildren, Jason and Kira, and made it her mission to make sure they were immersed in culture and the arts. She shared her love of travel with them by taking them on trips on the ferry to get ice cream in Kingston, to visit various national parks, Orlando, and farther abroad to Europe and Australia.

Marlene was passionate about her role in helping children as a 1st grade teacher. She taught at Oak Lake Elementary and West Woodland Elementary in the Seattle School District for over 30 years. Her colleagues remember her as being a capable and loving teacher. A group of them continued to go out to brunch every month long after they retired.

Marlene was active in several organizations: Friends of the Library, a local book club, her “No Hat” group, the Edmonds Historical Museum and the museum’s Saturday Market Booth. Her favorite group was the Women’s University Club in Seattle where she took classes and enjoyed the food, camaraderie, and ambiance for years. She was also a lifetime member of both the UW Alumni Association and of the Edmonds Waterfront Center.

Marlene was preceded in death by her parents, George and Esther Martin, her brothers, George and Gordon Martin and their spouses Bobbi and Joanie Martin. She is survived by her husband David, her daughter Cheri, son-in-law, Rod, grandchildren Jason and Kira, granddaughter-in-law Heather, and great grandchildren Odin and Athena as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the caring staff at Cogir of Edmonds, where she spent her last days, and Continuum Care Hospice.

Services will be held at the Edmonds Masonic Lodge in downtown Edmonds at 2PM on October 25th. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to a charity of your choice.