Willa Dean Hood Johnson, of Brookdale Senior Living in Kingsport, passed away quietly on Saturday, September 14, 2019. She and her twin sister, Wilma Jean, were born on July 19, 1934 near Fall Branch, Tennessee to the late William Beryl and Elsie Mae Johnson Hood. She grew up in Blountville and was a 1952 graduate of Holston High School and a 1953 graduate of Steed College of Technology. She worked for WJHL-TV in the 1950s, Tennessee Eastman Company, many years for Mason-Dixon Trucking Lines in the Accounts Receivables Department and finished her career at East Tennessee Transportation.
Willa Dean was a lifelong Baptist and along with her late husband, one of the earliest members of the Colonial Heights Baptist Church of Kingsport, where she served as a Sunday school teacher for six-year old children for nearly 50 years. She was also a Cub Scout Den Mother and a homeroom mother for her sons’ elementary school classrooms.
In addition to her parents, Willa Dean is preceded in death by her husband of nearly 60 years, the late Howard Johnson; twin sister, Jean Hood Johnson; brother, James Dutton Hood; sisters, Maxine Hood Barnes Forbes and Margaret Sue Meade White.
She is survived by her four adoring sons, David Johnson (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), Mark (Cheryl) Johnson (Byron, Georgia), Keith (Lisa) Johnson (Gordonsville, Virginia) and Michael (Jan) Johnson (Lenoir City, Tennessee); nine grandchildren, Meghan (Troy) Haught (Palmyra, Virginia), Brett (Madison) Johnson (Atlanta, Georgia), Jessica (Joel) Peed and Tory (Patrick Hobbs) Johnson (Macon, Georgia), Sarah (Landon) Biggs (Leesburg, Virginia), Tyler (Alexis) Johnson (Vestavia Hills, Alabama), Chailyn (Eli) Rainey (Lizella, Georgia), Zac Johnson and Peyton Johnson (Lenoir City, Tennessee); six great-grandchildren; a brother, Herman (Brenda) Hood (Kennesaw, Georgia); special cousin, Helen (Norman) Mitchell (Chuckey, Tennessee); uncle, Glay Hood (Johnson City, Tennessee); and many nieces, nephews and an abundance of good friends.
Her sons wish to express their gratitude to all who have extended care to their mother these past several years, but most especially to the staff of Brookdale Senior Living on John B. Dennis Highway in Kingsport, and to our cousin, Joyce Johnson Main and her family, who have been “on call” and dropped everything many times to look after mother’s needs.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Research or to a charity of your choice.
Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM on Friday, September 20, 2019 at Colonial Heights Baptist Church and will be followed with the funeral service at 11:00 AM. A private interment service will be held following the funeral for immediate family only.
Trinity Memorial Centers Funeral Home (423-723-8177) is honored to be serving the Johnson Family.
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