Lea Morton Johnson

SHREVEPORT, LA - A memorial service to honor the life of Lea Morton Johnson and witness to the Resurrection will be held in the main sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, August 23, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Dr. Chris Currie, Rhodes Stipp, and Dr. Hollice Watson will lead the service of worship. Lea died peacefully from complications related to Alzheimer's disease the afternoon of August 12. She was born in Cambridge, MA, on March 24, 1927. She graduated from Smith College and due to the recruiting salesmanship of Hazel Kytle, headmistress of Southfield School, she bravely moved to Shreveport to teach 4^th grade. Because of the Johnson family's close association to Southfield, Lea soon met Melvin Johnson Jr., a medical student at the time, and married him in 1952 after he returned from serving in Japan during the Korean conflict as a Navy physician. They lived briefly in California and then in New Orleans where Melvin completed his residency. In 1954, they moved to Shreveport where Melvin set up his medical practice and where the two spent the rest of their lives as model and generous Shreveport citizens and devoted parents to their children, Eric, Neil, and Margo. Throughout Lea's life, she had three main passions, the first being her second home at First Presbyterian Church. Librarian, teacher, leader, and elder. Through the church, she was one of the founders of Volunteers for Youth Justice, which continues to help young first offenders avoid the court system. Throughout her life, she proved herself to be gifted in helping people and following through for years, to the point of changing many lives. Her special gift was knowing who, how, when to help-as well as when to let go. Later, as chairman of the board of the YWCA, she was instrumental in changing the upstairs rooms from rentals to a shelter for battered women. Her second passion was the world of books. She worked to evolve the First Presbyterian Church library and worked often for the Southfield School Book Fair. She was the first employee hired by her dear friends who founded the Tower Book Shop in 1977 where she worked regularly, for almost 30 years, until her fading memory forced her to stop. Lea's third passion was her family, especially combining families each summer at a family retreat on Casco Bay, Maine, near the home of her sister and soul mate, Molly, and where Lea, Molly, and third sister, Peg, had summered since childhood. It was there Lea learned so much about New England independence and the importance of family traditions. Lea was known for her constant cheerful "can-do" attitude, her ability to make anyone feel welcome into her home, her church, and her life, her kindness and generosity, and her avoidance of any limelight for her successes. She totally embodied the concept of "a good and faithful servant" for her Lord. She was a Massachusetts transplant to Louisiana, who with her Yankee pragmatism intact, came to personify Southern generosity, charm, and grace. Lea was preceded in death by her parents, Marcus and Margaret Morton, her husband, Melvin F. Johnson Jr., her sister, Marian Morton White. She is survived by her sister, Peg Morton of Eugene, OR; children, Eric Johnson and wife Kathryn of Savannah GA; Neil Johnson and wife Cindy of Shreveport; Margo J. Williams and husband Larry of Alexandria VA; nephew Arthur Fleming and wife Leann Dawson of Seattle; niece Carol Fleming Marks and husband Larry of Ladue MO; grandchildren, Righton, Marcus, Sara, Bradford, Hannah, Lea, and Anne; and one great grandchild, Andrew. The family suggests gifts and memorials in her honor may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 900 Jordan St., Shreveport, LA 71101 or Southfield School, 1100 Southfield Rd., Shreveport, LA 71106.