Norma Johnson

Norma Raideen Johnson was born in Wingo, Kentucky in 1926. She recently passed away peacefully in her Denver home, just 4 days before her 90th birthday. When Norma was still quite young, the family moved to Chicago and then followed her mother's sister and her husband to Torrington, Wyoming where Norma attended school through high school. In Torrington, Norma's family lived in what she described as "hard scrabble" conditions. However, somehow, her father acquired an old, small plane which he rebuilt and taught Norma to fly. Norma was glamorous all of her life. She was tall and slender, had vivid blue eyes, and thick, rich, reddish hair.
Over a ten-year period Norma worked her way through a Bachelor's Degree at the University of Wyoming where she graduated with honors and a law degree from South Texas College of Law. She would work to save enough to continue school and then when the money ran out she worked again until she could go back to school. She worked in a doctor's office in New Castle, in the ship yards in San Francisco during WWII, and for Superior Oil in Denver and Texas. After she passed both the Texas and California Bar exams she asked Superior Oil for a promotion but left the company when the response to her achievement was to offer her a position in the company library. She then worked for ISI Corporation in San Francisco for more than ten years becoming General Counsel for the company.
Norma eventually joined Kelso & Company in San Francisco which was at that time the leading ESOP firm in the U.S. and is now a New York-based private equity firm. She spent the rest of her career working for Kelso in San Francisco, Atlanta, and New York. At Kelso, she became General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Vice President.New York was a dream come true for the girl from Torrington. She enjoyed jazz, fine things and good times with interesting people.
Norma retired in the early 1990's and serendipitously moved to Denver where she knew no one. She completed her dream duplex in Cherry Creek in 1994 and passed away there 22 years later. The Denver years were filled with travel far and wide, including trips to Africa and round-the-world adventures. She met people from all over the world and made lasting friends everywhere she went.
In Denver, she joined the Assistance League and threw herself into working in the Thrift Shop, working for the School Bell Project (supplying new school clothes for needy young students) and decorating the Assistance League house for Christmas. Most of the time her new car sat in the garage as she walked her way around Denver. She loved walking to "My Brother's Bar" in LoDo and she often walked downtown to see a movie.
Norma was an accomplished cook and friends were welcomed to her home to enjoy her complicated dishes. She was a master of cranberry chutney for Christmas and without fail she made black eyed peas and ham to insure good fortune for her friends for New Year's. Norma loved wearing hats, big and small and dressing up for Halloween. Norma taught her friends about lagniappe--small gifts given out of the blue, so to speak. She was generous with her lagniappe gifts, and loved buying cowboy boots or gold coins for newborns. Norma's pleasure during her last years was being with her friends at her window table at Starbucks.

As Simone de Beauvoir once said:
"One's life has value so long as
one attributes value to the life of
others, by means of love, friendship,
and compassion".
Norma's life was one rich in value. She is missed.
Donations in memory of Norma suggested to: Fight for Rhinos for the benefit of Saving the Survivors; 1498 Beckwith View Avenue; Grand Rapids, MI 49505.