In Loving Memory ~
The family of Russell and Marilyn Johnson, late of the Shuswap and Okanagan, will hold a celebration of life on Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Celista, B.C. Though it has been some time since Russell and Marilyn passed away, circumstances dictated that the family has not been able to properly celebrate their lives and memories until now.
Russell Norman Johnson was born on May 22, 1930, in Calgary, Alberta. He grew up in Vancouver, B.C., with his siblings, Allison and Stanley, and his parents, Norman and Nola Johnson.
Marilyn Anne Johnson (nee Moore) was born in Vancouver, B.C., on December 29, 1932. She grew up with four siblings, George, Beverley, Gerald, and Sharon, and her parents, George and Blanche Moore.
Russell and Marilyn met as teenagers and were married on April 26, 1951, in St. Augustine's Church in Kitsilano. They soon welcomed the first of their five children and moved to Richmond, B.C., where they lived until the early 1970s. From there, they moved briefly to Ontario before settling in Everett, Washington, their home until the mid-1990s.
Both Russell and Marilyn were active, busy people. Russell loved to hunt and fish, and the family ate well on the game he brought home. Russell loved boats and cars and owned many of both over the years. He was creative and inventive and tackled many complex projects, including building a dune buggy, a truck camper, and a fully customized sailboat. Russell loved technology and was an early adopter of digital cameras and computers.
Marilyn loved to golf and was really good at it, notching more than one hole-in-one during her years on the links. After her active days on the course ended, she continued to watch golf on TV almost every day. (Russell also liked to golf but was often annoyed that he wasn't as good as Marilyn!) Marilyn loved Cadbury's chocolate and A&W hamburgers, and in her last years, she crocheted dozens of toques for the homeless.
Russell and Marilyn took part in many other activities as well, such as cycling, swimming, bowling, and skiing.
When the time to retire finally came, Russell and Marilyn embraced the snowbird lifestyle and split their time between homes in California and the Shuswap. They enjoyed their twilight years actively, living in Penticton, B.C., with their daughter, Diana.
Over nearly 70 years of marriage, Russell and Marilyn raised five children—Lynn (Schmale), Sharon (MacDonald), Diana (Skelhorne), Katherine (Moran), and Raymond—and welcomed 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. They were sad to lose their eldest daughter, Lynn, in 2016, but were proud to be blessed with her two children and one grandchild.
Russell passed away with Marilyn by his side on December 14, 2019 at the age of 89 in Penticton, B.C., following a stay in hospice. Marilyn followed him peacefully with family at her bedside on March 5, 2022, at the age of 89, in Penticton, B.C., following a short stay in the hospital.
Words cannot express how much we miss Russell and Marilyn.
Anyone who remembers them from their time in the Shuswap is welcome to attend the celebration and can RSVP to dianaholden@hotmail.com