Phyllis Nelson Johnson

She was born on February 3, 1929, in Enid, Oklahoma, to the late Charles and Nancy (Firmin) Nelson. When the Dust Bowl swept across the plains in 1930, her parents moved from their small town to Oklahoma City for fear that she’d develop respiratory problems. As a child, Phyllis spent her summers at the Nelson farm, where she loved sleeping in a feather bed with her jolly Irish grandmother, who tickled her with funny jokes. She loved watching her churn butter, as well as fresh cream, which she savored over just-off-the-vine peaches from the orchard. One July afternoon, she and her cousin, Emma Jean, even ventured over to the neighbor’s farm, camped out in the watermelon patch, and helped themselves to some juicy refreshment. As much as the Nelsons liked home, they also loved to get out of town and travel. Each year, they packed up their car and hit the road, visiting nearly all 50 states. Phyllis relished these memories and one of her favorites was driving right down the middle of Times Square in New York City.

Her love for music began at an early age while attending Linwood Methodist Church and singing in the choir. That was only the beginning of a life filled with the joy of music. She started voice lessons as a young teenager and began singing in the church choir. She was a 1947 graduate of Classen High School in Oklahoma City, and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University, where she majored in religion. There she not only sang in the university choir, but she was also nominated by her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, to the Court of Beauty for the yearbook, the Keshena, and was referred to as the Keshena Queen most of her life for her elegance and impeccable sense of style.

Shortly after graduating, Phyllis hopped on a bus with her best friend, Bonnie Brown, and made her way to Dallas. Upon arriving, something told her to get off of the bus downtown in front of First United Methodist Church, where she walked right in and walked out with a job as secretary to the choir director, Glen Johnson. Unbeknownst to Phyllis, God had bigger plans for her at First United Methodist Church.

It was there she began singing in the choir and met her husband, John. They soon began their legacy of love together. They married on June 13, 1959, and built a family with three children, who were their pride and joy: Lisa, Tim and David. Phyllis was a devoted wife and mother, who taught her family the meaning of unconditional love. Her faith was strong and her love for God poured into every area of her life, which she instilled in her children and spread to many others. During her many years as a homemaker, Phyllis was a voice teacher, drove carpool and enjoyed the Lakewood Garden Club,

Following her devotion to God and her family, music was the next most important thing in Phyllis’ life, as it truly encompassed every part of her being. She enjoyed opera, classical and church music the most. She loved singing in the FUMC Chancel Choir, where she was a featured soloist for many years in choral pieces that included The Messiah, St. Matthew Passion, and Haydn’s Creation. However, her most well-known solo was O Holy Night that she performed every year during the televised Christmas Eve service. Her son, Tim, inherited Phyllis’ voice talent and in Brahms German Requiem, they each performed solos. Phyllis was most well- known for her effortless, fully rounded, rich high notes.

In the 1960s, the Chancel Choir recorded an album. According to a critic at The Dallas Morning News who reviewed the album, Phyllis voice was described as resonant and full-bodied, offering the same delicious satisfaction as sinking one’s teeth into a piece of perfectly ripe fruit. In the 1970s, Dave Brubeck and sons were guest artists at FUMC, where they performed La Fiesta de la Posada, during which Phyllis opened the song “Gloria” with three, stunning high notes. For years, she was also known for her role as the mother in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, which she performed at FUMC, as well as with the Irving Symphony.

Through Homer and Diane Schmidt who were in the Chancel Choir, Phyllis was introduced to Homer’s brother, Harvey Schmidt, who wrote The Fantasticks, the world’s longest running Off-Broadway musical. Over the years, Harvey would join Phyllis and family at their home for musical soirees and they’d sing for hours. When Harvey was composing his musical, Philemon, he composed a song based on the love verse in Corinthians, “The Greatest of These,” with Phyllis in mind. After an evening where he accompanied her with his hand-penned score, he later wrote, “It was so wonderful to finally hear you sing ‘The Greatest of These,’ and it was just as I’d always imagined it. To me, it was the musical high point of the evening, and it was a real pleasure for me to accompany you.”

Over the years, in addition to the Chancel Choir, Phyllis was a member of the Lakewood Musical Arts Club, sang in the Dallas Civic Chorus under the baton of Lloyd Pfautsch, other churches around town and at Temple Immanuel. Although she was blessed with musical talent, she was always humble and considered her talent as a gift from God, which she used to glorify Him over the years.

Phyllis served as administrative assistant in the admissions office at the SMU Perkins School of Theology until retiring at the age of 73. She truly enjoyed her career at SMU and considered it part of her ministry. She and John entertained students from all over the world in their home. She was quite the hostess and welcomed many into the loving and warm home that she made.

Following retirement, Phyllis took interest in the European opera singer Bryn Terfel Jones, and traveled with Lisa around the world – everywhere from London to Vienna – and enjoyed many of the great operas: Tosca, Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro. She even became a personal friend of his.

She was a lover of crossword puzzles and worked on those in The Dallas Morning News each morning. She also had a wonderful sense of humor and found joy in each day.

Phyllis will be greatly missed by all who loved and knew her, as she was a graceful, intelligent, amazing woman who set a wonderful example of how to love fully and unconditionally and how to live life to its fullest.

In addition to her parents, Phyllis was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John T. Johnson in 2003; and brother, Donald Charles Nelson in 1998. She is survived by her children, Lisa Johnson Mitchell and husband, Laurence, of Plano; Tim Johnson and wife, Merri Leigh, of Dallas; and David Johnson of Mid-Cities; and grandchildren, Jack, Charlie and Abigail.

A celebration of life for Phyllis will be held at First United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas, in October 2021. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First United Methodist Church Music and Arts Ministry, 1928 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX 75201.