Mary Sue Garner Johnson

Mary Sue Johnson passed peacefully, in her home, Thursday April 6th, surrounded by family. Mary Sue, affectionately known as Meme to many, was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1930 and is the daughter of the late Mary Kathryn and Boykin Garner. Her mother died when she was one and her father remarried Ione Peterman and they moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Mary Sue lived her childhood and young adult years. During those years she also spent her summers at her Uncle Josh’s farm in Ludowici, Georgia where she enjoyed helping at the farm, developing friendships and spending time with her family. After graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Georgia State College for Women (GSCW) with a teaching degree and – with the encouragement of Charlotte and Ed Willis, to come to Griffin, she taught Home Economics and Science at Spalding Junior High in the late 50’s. She fondly remembered each of her students through the years. Sue was instrumental in allowing girls to be able to take Science classes instead of Home Economics. She was preceded in death by her husband Joe Johnson, Jr., whom she married in 1957. She was a devoted mother and homemaker for many years. During the middle 70’s she began working with her husband at Jim & Joe’s Photo Center. She absolutely loved her customers and her employees, many of whom were like family. She and Joe both worked up until the 1980’s when they retired and began to travel in their motor home all across the United States including Alaska. She was very grateful for the time she enjoyed, in retirement, traveling with her husband. Sue had many hobbies: sewing, gardening, reading, traveling and spending time with her grandchildren. Sue was famous for her “Sueisms” along with her southern genteel spirit, grace and charm. She was soft spoken and never raised her voice. She was a fantastic mother and always put her children and husband first. Sue is survived by her two children and their spouses, Kay Johnson Landham of Griffin, Joe Johnson III (Terese) of Griffin, grandchildren Robert W. (Marissa) Landham of Smyrna, GA, Heather (Adam) Marcus of Smyrna and her great-grandchildren Anastasia and Rebekah Marcus, her two sisters, Carolyn (Ken) Masters of Flowery Branch, GA, Barbara (Robert) Payne of Sevierville, TN, her nieces, Diane (Butch) May of Cleveland, GA, Andrea (Billy) Stramiello of Tucker, GA, cousins, Sally Burns Shapiro of Savannah, GA, John (Maryann) Burns of Savannah, GA and numerous other cousins, and family. Mary Sue loved her grandchildren and spent as much time with them as she could. Sue loved all God’s creatures and all loved her. Visitation will be at Haisten-McCullough Funeral Home on Saturday, April 15, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Sue’s memory may be given to the Griffin Area Resource Center (GARC) Building Fund at 931 Hamilton Blvd. Griffin, GA 30224

Tributes

Mary Sue Garner Johnson

August 10, 1930 - April 6, 2023