Violeta Albertina Johnson

Violeta Albertina Johnson (née Cárcamo) was born the fourth child of Federico Cárcamo Morales and Hercilia Arriola on 12/24/1925, Christmas Eve. When she was just two years old, her mother passed away and her father sent the older boys to Belize and the girls, Blanca Isabel and Violeta Albertina, to live with an aunt. From there they went on to boarding school - El Sagrado Corazon in Guatemala City, infrequently seeing her father who had remarried and had a second family.

In 1948, Violeta travelled to the US to attend Perkinston Junior College in Mississippi to learn English. There was no ESOL at that time, she simply learned by sitting in on classes which were in English. After graduation, she lived and worked in New Orleans for a time.

Later, she travelled with a friend to Los Angeles, California and enlisted in the Marines. She attended a 6-week boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Violeta met Gregory at a New Year’s Eve Marine officer’s party. Greg was chauffeuring officers to and from the event and Violeta was serving as a waitress. She was impressed by his seriousness.

She and Greg married in Puma Country, Arizona on July 10, 1954, and soon after had their first child, Daniel David, who was named after Greg’s brother, David. During this time, she converted from Catholicism to Presbyterianism, Greg’s religion. Violeta became a naturalized US citizen in 1961.

Greg attended Kansas University on the GI bill while Violeta raised their number one son. Five years later they had their second child, Cheryl Ann and soon after, Greg secured a position in Pennsylvania with the Department of Transportation as a geologist and they moved to Camp Hill, PA where they lived the rest of their lives.

In 1963, Violeta had her final child, Jennifer Caroline.

During the child-raising years, Greg often travelled for work on field trips, leaving Vi to handle the three children on her own and with no car.

Violeta kept herself busy with raising children, seeing her friends, reading and learning to sew. She was interested in natural, holistic health treatments, like administering tablespoons of cod liver oil daily until her children rebelled.

Violeta was vivacious and quick to laugh. She loved music and always had her radio playing. She enjoyed Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass, and Sergio Mendez and later came to appreciate James Taylor and Smooth Jazz.

She was a faithful member of Camp Hill Presbyterian Church and could be found reading her Bible in the evenings.

Perhaps the most memorable thing about Violeta was her loving nature. She particularly loved children and babies… smiling broadly at them which inevitably produced a smile in return. She and Greg watched over their 2nd and 3rd grandchildren during their preschool years, the twins Kaitlyn Nicole and Elizabeth Ashley, children of Cheryl Ann Chicote (née Johnson) and John Chilcote. She also revered nature and would remark joyfully on a beautiful sky, an interesting insect, a lovely plant.

Violeta adored her first grandchild, Nathan Lee Renner Johnson Macnow, born of her son Daniel David and Lori Renner and was immensely proud of his achievements.

When her last grandchildren were born of Jennifer and Michael Tucker, she and Greg made frequent trips to visit them in Maryland. Mackenzie Leigh and Aidan Mark Tucker enjoyed their attention. Later in life, when she was visited by her daughter Jennifer, she always asked first, “How’s my little girl doing?” to which Jennifer would reply, “I’m fine,” and she would laugh saying, “No! My other little girl.” referring to her granddaughter, Mackenzie. She would inquire endlessly about what both Mackenzie and Aidan were up to, now.

Violeta was preceded in death by her beloved husband Gregory Cottom Johnson (04/23/1932 – 02/14/2015). Violeta was also preceded in death by both parents Hercilia Arriola (deceased 1927) and Federico Cárcamo Morales (1890-1954) and her siblings, Oscar “Lico” Federico Cárcamo Arriola, José Salvador “Bosho” Cárcamo Arriola and Blanca “Blanquita” Isabel Cárcamo Arriola.

She will be missed as the diminutive matriarch of the family. Violeta is survived by three children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of whom she loved dearly.