Gwendolyn Bousa Johnson

Gwendolyn Bousa Johnson, 80, passed away Sunday, May 28, 2023, at her home in Houston. She was born to the late Glenn and Mary Bussinger on November 19, 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her family moved from Ohio to California for her father to find a better work opportunity eventually as a machinist with an aircraft company. The family bought a home in Norwalk, Los Angeles County, California. Gwen graduated from Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe Springs California in 1960 and went on to attend the California State University earning a bachelor’s degree in English with Spanish. She became a certified teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1968 through 1973. Gwen eventually became a qualified paralegal with Fulbright and Jaworski a law firm in Houston. She travelled to New York and West Texas gathering papers so that the attorneys were able to prepare for their cases for in particular the 1989 explosion at the Phillips 66 refinery.

Her first marriage was to John Edward Bousa in California. They came to Houston so that John could study for a Doctorate in Pharmacy at the University of Houston. They had a son John Glenn Bousa who died in 2019 at the age of 45.

Gwen’s second marriage was to Raymond Denis Johnson. They married in Houston on December 16, 1995. Raymond was British, working in Kuwait at that time, although they met when he was working in Houston on an Enron power plant project for the UK. Gwen joined Raymond for a couple of years in Kuwait and worked as secretary for St. Paul’s Anglican church in Kuwait. In 2000 Raymond came in to country as a resident alien and then an American citizen through Gwen’s immigration sponsorship. They lived together in Northwest Houston. There are no children from the marriage although Gwen was step mother to Raymond’s daughters, Lucy and Nancy, who live in London, UK. There are 2 aunts, aunt Jo and Irene and 2 cousins, Francis and Gloria and other family members in Ohio. Gwen’s siblings, Robert in California and Patricia in Wichita are deceased. Gwen and Raymond were married for 28 years.

Gwennie’s passions were playing tennis and running 5km runs in Houston and it is understood that she won a 5km run, for her age group, in downtown Houston. Gwen and Raymond ran together in Memorial Park, in Kuwait and in the neighborhood around their home. She had good faith and was always seeking directions in her faith journey. She was very much part of the St. Matthew the Evangelist community, attending mass, bible study and other St. Matt activities. She was a Eucharistic Minister at one time and a committee member for the St. Matt’s Boy Scout troop where her son was an active member. She did attend evening bible study at St. Timothy’s U.M.C. and then at St. Stephen’s U.M.C when St Timothy’s closed.

Gwen loved her son and she and Raymond shared some good times with him and her former husband John Edward. Their son’s death was coincident with her developing dementia. She developed a fear of falling when she walked which led to her walking disability where she needed to hold on to something, a chair, a table, then it was a walker, then a wheel chair and then just the bed which became the safest place for her. In her final days she would not eat or drink water. She had a good smile and a mischievous humor when she would laugh almost uncontrollably especially if Raymond stubbed his toe.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanresthavenfuneralhome.com for the Johnson family.