Mary Elizabeth Robbins Johnson

Mary Elizabeth Robbins Johnson died on Sunday, February 26th at the age of 102. She was born on August 11, 1914 in China Grove, NC, the oldest daughter, and fourth of six children of the Reverend Henry Haywood Robbins and Mrs. Mary Reinhardt Correll Robbins. She was predeceased by her husband Dr. Burt Powers Johnson. She is survived by her children; Dr. Burt P. Johnson, Jr. of Wilmington, NC and her daughter Ms. Diana Johnson of Cary, NC, as well as five grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

Being the daughter of a Methodist Minister whose parish changed every 2 to 3 years, she grew up on multiple towns and cities in western, NC. In high school, she was not only a gifted student, but also excelled in basketball and the running high jump. She graduated from Greensboro College with a degree in Elementary Education, when it was still an all-female college.

She met her future husband, Burt Powers Johnson, in Greensboro, NC during her senior year in college. They were married 3 years later by her father, on July 1, 1939. They honeymooned at the World’s Fair in New York City, where they also attended several professional baseball games and were present for Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech and ceremony.

As part of her husband’s pursuit of a doctorate in education at Columbia University in NY City, they moved from NC to Port Jervis, NY where both their children were born. In 1945 they moved to Tenafly, NJ where they lived until 1958 and where Mary resumed her teaching career. Continuing graduate work, she became certified as a reading specialist, a career she continued up until her husband’s retirement in 1971. She was acknowledged as a gifted and creative teacher who had unique skills in engaging her students in the learning process.

In 1971, her husband Burt retired and they moved “home,” back to NC. They settled into retirement in Cary, NC. Always the lady with a book in her hand, she continued her love of reading. She learned to play golf and to bowl. Always a skilled bridge player, she was a sought after partner, and continued to play into her late nineties.

As a mother, she was the heart of her family. She loved her life with genuine enthusiasm, modeling her innate faith, goodness and zest for life. She wanted her children to have standards, a strong code of ethics, a value system of right and wrong, and a sense of humor about life. She and her husband Burt encouraged intellectual curiosity and a life-long love of learning. She trusted her family to be all that they could and should be. She was a mother first and then a friend. She loved her family and touched the heart of each new addition with her joy for life, her love, her wisdom and her sense of wonder.

She was a woman of wit, intellect, and was a lifelong teacher. Her quest for knowledge never ceased. She conveyed to each member of the family that she loved and treasured them, and also how proud she was of them. As a family, we loved and treasured her, and were and are, so proud to say she was our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

There will be a Memorial Service on Thursday, March 2nd at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Transitions Hospice Care 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607 www.transitionslifecare.org .

Arrangements for the Johnson family are under the care of Brown-Wynne Cary. Online condolences may be made at www.brownwynnecary.com.