Barbara Jean Johnson

Barbara Jean Johnson, 92, died on January 26, 2022, after a brief illness, at her home in Tucker, Georgia surrounded by family. Born on March 29th, 1929, in Columbiana, Ohio, (2019’s Nicest Place in America) she was the daughter of the late Ross and Harriett Gaver.

Barbara was a 1946 graduate of Columbiana High School and a 1950 graduate, with a BS degree in Music Education, from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. While attending college on a music scholarship, she was active in the Pi Beta Phi sorority and played in the college orchestra and band. She met her love and husband of 59 years, Paul Richard Johnson Sr. at a campus social. They married in 1951 in Salem, Ohio. After living briefly in Ohio and Wisconsin, they settled into the Atlanta, Georgia area in 1957 and into their home in Tucker in 1983. She and her husband traveled extensively throughout their marriage, sharing adventures around the world.

She was a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church of Tucker and a member of the Pioneers and a former member of the Hand Bell Choir.

In her education, work and free time, Barbara’s passion for music was evident in all aspects of her life. A talented Cellist, she was a member of the Atlanta Community Orchestra for 10 years and a member of the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra where she remained a member for 30 years. She was also a founding member of the Intermezzo String Quartet, which professionally entertained travelers and guests at a variety of venues around the Atlanta Area. She was a music educator with Dekalb County Schools for 20 years and retired from SunTrust Bank in 1995.

Barbara is preceded in death by her husband, Paul Richard Johnson Sr. and her granddaughter, Megan Capps. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Bruce and Shirley Gaver, Jacksonville, FL; her children: Jacki and Hilary King, Burlington, NC; Paul Johnson, Snellville, GA; Chris Johnson and Jeanine Boggs, Fort Worth, TX; and Michelle and Scott Maddox, Statham, GA; daughter-in-law: Ree Johnson, Winder, GA; grandchildren: Patrick and Elizabeth Johnson, Matthew and Emily Johnson, Kelley and Joshua Radloff, Lauren and Joshua Hubert, Katherine and Daniel Rectanus, Andrew and Alonna Maddox, Ally Maddox, ; eleven great grandchildren: Joshua and Ryleigh Capps, Madelyn Payne, Savannah and Noah Radloff; Owen, Caroline and Miles Johnson; Olivia and Grayson Johnson; and Joseph Maddox.

Visitation will be from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at First United Methodist Church of Tucker. 5095 LaVista Rd, Tucker, GA 30084. A Celebration of Life Service will follow at 2:00 PM at the same location. The interment will take place Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 9:00 AM at the Canton National Cemetery at 1080 Scott Hudgens Drive, Canton GA 30114.

Barbara’s cello of many years was donated to her alma mater, Miami of Ohio’s school of music. Donations can be made in her honor to the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra PO Box 1313; Tucker, GA 30085.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.floralhillsfuneral.com for the JOHNSON family.