Ardith F. Johnson

Ardith Faye Johnson, known to our family as “Mum”, passed peacefully in the early hours of September 4, 2018 in Melbourne, Florida, surrounded by family, with her granddaughter and dear friend holding her hand. Over her lifetime, our “Mum” was a Mother, wife, schoolteacher and bookkeeper. She was the first Lion Aide President in Palm Bay, FL and loved sewing, bowling and crafts. The 2nd of 7 siblings’, she was born in Couer d’ Alene, Idaho in 1925 and was raised on the family farm, graduating from Leith High School in Carson, ND in 1943. As a young adult she moved west to California and there she met her husband of 56 years, Robert “Bobby” Johnson. They married on May 10, 1945 and she became a devoted Air Force wife while Bobby served in WWII and then in Korea. Moving every three years with the Air Force, and often times on her own while Bobby served around the world, they raised five children. Their travels led them to retire in Palm Bay, Florida in 1968, where they lived together until Bobby’s death on November 25, 2001. Ardith battled several cancers and lost the use of her legs at age 74, but her strength and perseverance, love of family and God coupled with a witty sense of humor will serve as an everlasting example to family and friends.

Ardith is survived by her brothers, Delbert Clark and his wife, Bonnie of Sturgis, ND; Gordon Clark and his wife, Adele of Flasher, ND; and sisters, Maxine Culver of Deadwood, SD; Carol Jenkins, White Plains, MD; son, Ross Johnson of Kaneohe, HI; daughters, Rae Johnson of Goose Creek, SC; Ardith Shealey and her husband, Steve of Winter Haven, FL; Robin Frantz of Allen, TX, Ressa Johnson and her husband, Derald of Galena, OH; and dear family friend Kristine Neviaser of Orlando, FL; 9 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cystic Fibrosis or the American Cancer Society.