Joyce A. Johnson
Joyce (Shanahan) Johnson, 95, of Jamestown, New York, died March 30, 2023, in Lutheran Jamestown, about a mile from where she spent her teenage years at the family home on Curtis Street, and with her grandson’s painting of Chautauqua. A lake hut hangs on the wall above her bed.
Born in 1928, on the cusp of the Great Depression, the men in her family were bricklayers, and her father, John Shanahan, owned a construction company. Her mother, Grace (Lundberg) Shanahan, was a strong woman. Joyce and her siblings paddle across Chautauqua Lake from their former home in Fluvanna to visit Celeron Park.
I grew up in vibrant, hopeful, and industrial Jamestown during World War II. She graduated from Jamestown High School where she made lifelong friends and attended JHS reunions late in her years. She sang in an A Capella choir and was always ready to break into song, a beloved habit that she carried on until her death despite her struggles with dementia.
Joyce met her husband, Glenn, while working at Bico Ice Cream and Dairy. Having just returned from serving in the US Army in Europe, Glenn was on his way to the Pacific, but luckily, he only made it to San Diego when the war ended. They married in 1948 and lived in Buffalo, then moved to Chicago and Philadelphia before moving back to the Buffalo area.
The family’s Chautauqua Lake cabin was a hub for the Shanahan and Johnson families and a hub for large family gatherings. Fourth of July at the cottage it was “The greatest day of the year”According to Joyce. She was a patriot, loving fireworks and flares around the lake, and always ensuring that the American flag hung over her house. Joyce and Glenn had so much fun they eventually retired here.
She loved buffalo bills through thick and thin. The couple carried season tickets for 30 years and attended the Superbowl in 1992. A remarkable entertainer has hosted countless dinner parties for Glenn’s colleagues and wives, fellow members of the Ascension Lutheran Church, the Bridge Club, and neighborhood friends, often leading vocals. about the piano. Joyce befriended people wherever she went, making lasting friendships along the way.
Preceded by her husband, Glenn H. Johnson Jr., who died in 2009. Her sister is June Carlson, and her brother is John “Jack” Shanahan. Her sister, Margaret, survived “Peggy” Shanahan Bloomquist of Jamestown; Her four children: Curtis Johnson of Falconer, Craig Johnson (Laura) of Derby, Colleen Johnson (Lisa) of Jamestown, and Constance Johnson (Jay) of Maryland; two grandchildren: Matthew Johnson (Sarah) from Illinois; Kristen Johnson Rap from San Diego; four great-grandchildren: Violet, Oliver, Isaac, and Alexandra; And several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Kiantone Congregational Church, 646 Kiantone Road, Jamestown, NY 14701.
For those who want to make a donation in Joyce’s honor, the family suggests: Chautauqua Lake Association (chautauqualakeassociation.org), Chautauqua County Humane Society (chqhumane.org), or Jamestown Meals on Wheels (jmstmow.com).