Anita Johnson passed from this earth peacefully on June 19, 2020, after a long and very full life. The daughter of Frederick and Margaret Bartholy, Anita was born in New York City on January 29, 1925, and is survived by her sister, Vivienne Verklin of Florida. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in chemistry in 1946. Married to Joseph E. Nickels on January 20, 1949, she moved to Southern California, where she raised three children. She is also survived by Margaret Nickels Crane and her husband Dr. Donald Crane of California, Irene Nickels of California, and Raymond Nickels and his wife Jean Nickels of Florida.
Widowed in 1960, Anita returned to school, earning a Masters Degree in Librarianship from the University of Southern California in 1963. While raising three young children, she worked at the Fullerton, California public library and then became the founding librarian at La Puente High School, where she built a library from scratch in a classroom, eventually overseeing the construction of a stand-alone library on the school campus before her retirement.
On August 8, 1973, Anita married Stephen B. Johnson, the owner of Johnson’s House of Flowers on North Avenue, and adopted Grand Junction as her home. Steve and Anita shared a love of music and owned three vintage player pianos. They were active in the community and traveled extensively. In her lifetime she visited over 100 different countries. She is also survived by her step-children, Betty Emerson and Judy Martin of Grand Junction, Dr. Mac Johnson of Durango, Kent Johnson of San Diego, Jerry Johnson of Denver, and Milo Johnson, of Grand Junction, grand children Andrea Crane Stutelberg, Louise Crane Fitch, and Dr. Clarkson Crane, as well as five great-grand children. Anita continued to be active in Grand Junction after Steve’s passing in 1997, volunteering at the St. Mary’s Hospital medical library, and was instrumental in the development of the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra.
Anita was the recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Program scholarship, spending a year in Denmark as an exchange teacher in 1970-71, was listed in Who’s Who of American Women, 8th Edition and Millennium Edition, was a founding member of the Grand Junction Musical Arts Association, a member of the Symphony Guild, the American Association of University Women, the Phi Mu Fraternity, the Musical Box Society, Stein Collectors International, and the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association.
As an enthusiastic supporter of education and the arts, Anita has been a generous donor to the Grand Junction Symphony Foundation, the Western Colorado Community Foundation, the John McConnell Math and Science Center, the Mesa Land Trust, the Museum of Western Colorado, the American Lutheran Church, and other Grand Junction community resources.
A strong and independent woman well ahead of her time, Anita was known for her quick wit and intelligent observations, and was the center of attention at any gathering. She will be deeply missed by family and friends alike. A celebration of life will be held for Anita at a date to be determined in the future.
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