Shirley Jeriene Johnson

Shirley Jeriene “Jeri” Johnson, 93, passed away peacefully at her Edmonds home on Saturday, April 5, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Born on July 6, 1931, in North Platte, Nebraska, Jeri married her high school sweetheart, Merrill Douglas “Doug” Johnson on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1951. They celebrated 48 years of marriage until his death due to cancer in 1999.

A devoted Christian, Jeri Johnson served the Lord faithfully--at church, in her community, and in her home. Both Jeri and Doug devotedly attended church and sang in the church choirs. At Northshore Community Church and then North Sound Church, she served on the Women of Wisdom (WOW) leadership team, helping to organize luncheons that brought women together. After Doug died, Jeri trained and served with Stephen Ministries, offering Christ-centered care to others struggling with loss, illness, or other difficulties. She read the Bible almost every day, and served as a Bible Study Fellowship Group leader for many years, as well as offering a Bible study and Christian book club in her home.

Jeri Johnson loved to entertain and hosted family events for the holidays and birthdays, until her children grew up, got married, and started to help with hosting them. After Jeri moved to Edmonds, she would host a Christmas cookie exchange for friends and neighbors, where one or more of her grandchildren would perform music.

Jeri worked as a school office manager in North Seattle for almost 40 years. Working for a public school meant that she had holidays and summers off, which allowed her to indulge her love for travel. While the children were growing up, the Johnson family would drive from Seattle to Nebraska to visit family. Later, Jeri and Doug spent one summer driving across the United States, visiting states they had not seen yet. They also traveled to Europe, visiting ancestral places in England and Sweden, and took a special trip to Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand, which remained a highlight in their lives. After Doug’s death, Jeri continued to travel, returning to Europe and visiting Spain, Portugal, and Italy. When Jan Hettinga, a retired pastor she knew, organized a trip to Jerusalem, Israel, she went with her daughter, Kristel, visiting many historical places connected to the Bible. Her love of travel started early, when at age 19 she visited her brother Don in Germany, shortly after World War II in 1950. Her favorite place to visit was Hawaii.

Jeri was a lifelong lover of books, often reading one or two a week. She enjoyed Christian fiction, cozy mysteries, and historical fiction. When her vision worsened, Jeri moved to reading ebooks (and the Bible) on a Kindle device. Finally, when her vision failed, she moved to free audiobooks provided by the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL).

Jeri Johnson is survived by her three children Kristel Fawcett and her husband, Phil; Timothy and his wife, Pamela; and Kathy Houser and her husband, Ray; six grandchildren Robin, and his wife, Jocelyn; Jessica; Charlianne and her husband, Emanuele; Jacob and his wife, Gabriana; Emma, and Andrea; three great grandchildren; and a niece Margie Blanchet and her husband, Felix. She is predeceased by her husband Doug Johnson and brother Don Wing.

Please join us in honoring her memory and rejoicing that she is with the Lord.

A graveside service for Shirley will be held Friday, April 18, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills, 409 Filbert Road, Lynnwood, WA 980364934.