Lavonne Johnson

LaVonne died peacefully, surrounded by loving family, at Avow Hospice in Naples, Florida, on November 28, 2023, following a brief hospitalization. She was 91 years old.

LaVonne was born on October 25, 1932, and grew up in Lake Lillian, MN where she met her husband Glen. January 7, 2024 will mark the 75th anniversary of their long, joyful marriage.

Together with Glen she helped found and operate the Lake Lillian Crier newspaper. They later managed and expanded the Johnson Family Farm, a Minnesota “Century Farm” founded in 1862. Glen and LaVonne moved to Reston, VA and later to Pittsburgh, PA, where they enjoyed many years while Glen worked at Federated Securities Corp.

Glen and LaVonne fell in love with Marco Island, FL, where they built a retirement home and eventually resided full time. They traveled around the world and regularly attended summer programs at Chautauqua Institute in New York.

LaVonne was a congregant at First Lutheran Church of Pittsburgh and Marco Lutheran Church. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and later with Glen founded The Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Her philanthropy also supported the Con Spirito concert series at Thiel College, scholarships at Florida Gulf Coast University, and environmental studies at Gustavus Adolphus College. LaVonne was a devoted patron of the Marco Island Center for the Arts, Marco Island Historical Society, and The Marco Players community theater.

LaVonne was a lifelong learner and an avid reader, often enjoying several books at once. She loved to grow orchids and to watch the birds outside her window. She had an extraordinary sense of style and design, which was reflected in the award-winning garden landscape at her Marco Island home. She will be missed by her big black cat, “Tommy.” Paramount in her life was her Lutheran faith, her family, and her many dear friends. She adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren beyond measure.

LaVonne was preceded in death by her husband, Glen R. Johnson; her parents, Christopher Corley and Elphie Kettner; her son, David Johnson; her daughter, Lori Wallace; her sister, Byrma Pauzine; and her brother, Jeffrey Corley.

She is survived by her daughter, Vicki Zaneis, and her husband, Dean; her daughter-in-law Sheila Johnson; her son-in-law Miles Wallace; her grandchildren and their spouses Kristianna (Joshua) Cucinella, Katelyn (Eliot) Hungrecker, Ariana (Seth) Patton, Kora Johnson, Kari (Kyle) Lightner, and Aidan Wallace; her great-grandchildren, David, Conor, and Noah Hungrecker, Catherine and Juliet Patton, and Lily Cucinella; and her nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 6 at 11 AM at Marco Lutheran Church, 529 N Collier Blvd., Marco Island, FL 34145 and Saturday, January 13 at 2 PM at First Lutheran Church, 615 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, followed by entombment in the First Lutheran Church columbarium.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made in LaVonne’s honor to Marco Lutheran Church, First Lutheran Church of Pittsburgh, or For the Love of Cats Inc., 4915 Rattlesnake Hammock Rd #230, Naples, FL 34113.