Mary Lohree Stephenson Johnson
Resident of Clayton, CA
Feb 23, 1933 – November 26, 2020
87 years old
Mary Lohree Johnson was the youngest of 4 children born to Lohree Nowers and Edwin Ross Stephenson in Provo, Utah. She graduated from Provo High School and later Brigham Young University, earning degrees in accounting and music. Mary’s passion in life was music. In elementary school she first learned to play the violin. When Mary was in 6th grade, her family bought a used player piano which she loved to play, and excelled in. Her sister Eleanor taught dance lessons in their home in Provo while Mary accompanied the students on the piano. In high school, Mary played the flute for the marching band. She later learned to play the accordion and guitar, played the organ and continued to enjoy and play music throughout her life.
As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, Mary spent the majority of her time at church in service to playing the piano and organ in every capacity for more than 50 years. This included as the Clayton Valley 2nd Ward organist and pianist, Oakland California Temple organist, and countless other church meetings, performances and events. Mary has always been a shy and reserved, yet strong willed person with a dry sense of humor. She once said, “As long as I’m the one playing the organ and piano for all the church events, then they won’t call on me to speak.”
Mary met her soon to be husband while they both attended a dance class at Brigham Young University. In 1955, after a short courtship, Mary married her husband, Clayton Levi Johnson, in the Manti Utah temple. She and Clayton lived in Orem, Utah for seven years while he worked as an elementary school teacher and she worked at Geneva Steel. They were blessed with the adoption of their only daughter, Doreen who was later joined by sons, Brian and Edward.
In 1962, Mary, Clayton and baby Doreen, along with four other families picked up to look for better careers out west and moved to Concord, California. The families together rented a railroad boxcar, to trek their household belongings to California to be there ahead of their arrival. When the families arrived in Concord, the boxcar with all of their belongings was no where to be found. Eventually with great relief they found the abandoned boxcar on the train tracks in downtown Concord.
In 1967, the young family moved to Clayton, California into a home that her husband built with the help of two of his fellow teachers. The family continues to reside in the home. Mary worked in the Mt. Diablo Elementary School office and later, after the children were older, went to work for Safeway Corporation, retiring after 10 years.
For years, Mary enjoyed playing the flute in the Walnut Creek Concert band with her good friend and neighbor Barbara Evans. She was also a member of the Diablo Valley Chapter of the Sweet Adeline’s accapella singing choir where she traveled and performed in singing events and competitions. Mary was an excellent seamstress and made her own wedding dress along with several other family members. She loved designing, precisely piecing together, and hand stitching large beautiful quilts. It was common practice for Mary to have a large quilt set up on stands in the living room and working tirelessly to complete as a gift to a family member. Once Mary and Clayton were both retired, they helped to raise their grandchildren Megan and Alex who enjoyed their summers traveling with Grandma and Grandpa.
In 1988 she and Clayton served a church mission in the Washington DC South Mission. Mary and Clayton also both loved adventures in their motor home. The family had always had a camper or motor home growing up and their desire to explore the country continued through retirement. Mary and Clayton spent many winters, in Yuma Arizona with the Sunbirds, where they would meet up with many of their long time friends that they called their “Utah gang!”
Mary was a quiet and gentle soul. She was strong, determined, and very smart. One secret talent she had was her ability to write poetry. She was definitely a “wordy” and wrote poems to those she loved for special occasions. Mary lived her life in service to her family and others. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and servant to our Lord, Jesus Christ. She rarely complained, she always gave unconditional love, and supported her family throughout her life. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone, especially her children, which she never was. Mary passed away in her home on Thanksgiving Day after a hard fought struggle with congestive heart failure and complications from Parkinson’s disease. Mary often said in her later years, while struggling with Parkinson’s, “This getting older is the pits!” She never asked for anything except to have patience to endure, which she did with pride and dignity.
Mary was preceded in death by her son Edward in 2015, her husband Clayton in 2016, and her sweet Granddaughter Megan in 2019, who spent so much time taking care of Grandma. It gives us peace and comfort to know the reunion in heaven must be so joyous for them all. I am sure they are all playing an endless game of Canasta!
Mary is survived by her daughter Doreen (Sean) Birney of Concord, son Brian (Karen) Johnson of Incline Village, NV. Her grandchildren, Tanya, Alex, Jesse, Lauren, Tyler, Rowan, and Mariah and her great grandchildren, Ayden, Maverick, Summer, Jesse Jr., Jayden, and Andros. We love and will greatly miss our dear “Grama GG.”
A private family burial will take place on Monday, December 7 at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Concord.
