Josephine Johnson

Durango resident Josephine M. Johnson died Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, in Durango. She was 94. Known as “Jo,” she was born to John Edward and Eleanor (Garcia) Marquez on Oct. 24, 1918, in Pueblo. In 1943, she married Dennis Johnson in Pueblo. The couple had four children together. Mrs. Johnson worked her way up from a switchboard operator to a licensed social worker with Pueblo County, retiring after 35 years as a general and crisis-intervention social worker. She had been an active member of the Baha’i faith since 1957, serving in various capacities as a teacher and administrator until her death. She lived in Pueblo all her life except for the last seven years, when she lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Mark Reddy, in Durango. Mrs. Johnson was preceded in death by her husband Dennis Johnson; and sons Melvin Johnson and John Eric Johnson. She is survived by her daughter, Diane Reddy, of Durango; son Dennis Michael Johnson of Custer, S.D.; eight grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. A graveside service will be held at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango. A reception will be held afterward at 1:30 p.m. in Bowman Hall at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango, 419 San Juan Drive.