Judith “Judy” Johnson

Judith Ellen Johnson passed away last Friday after 89 years, nine months and two days, which meant as she often said, “I’m the oldest person I know.” She was born on June 4, 1930, in Indianapolis, to Ada and Dr. William P. Morgan. She was the youngest of three sisters, Lisabeth Ann Morgan Staples Hazzard and Wilma Jean Morgan Ganc, who preceded her in death. From the beginning, “Judy” had spunk. One early picture is of teen-aged Judy mounted on one of her horses, Selah. Judy and Selah enjoyed roaming the Southside up and down Meridian School Road and Railroad Road, long before the area progressed to what it is today. She was a 1948 graduate of Southport High School, where Judy was on the homecoming court. She still met with the remaining members of the class of ’48 regularly. Her father had multiple degrees including botany and zoology and taught at Indiana Central College and IU School of Medicine. He cultivated and bred flowers and patented a freesia and a rose named after Judy.She met Edwin C. Johnson in her first year at Indiana Central College, where she lettered in basketball and graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. After working briefly as a teacher, she married Ed in 1954. Ed became a decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, which resulted in the Johnsons moving extensively, living in Indiana, New York, Spain, Arizona, Kansas, Texas and Georgia. While Ed was a Wild Weasel fighter pilot in Vietnam, first in and last out, drawing surface to air missile fire, Judy was tending to their three young children, Janis, Mark and Dee.She always had an affinity for the Indiana State Fair. She competed on her horse in jumping and dressage at the fair. More recently, she won ribbons for her chocolate chip cookies and candy. She was a Red Cross volunteer, a Girl Scout leader and enjoyed gardening and Koi clubs. A passion for flowers inspired work as a florist. She loved the azaleas and warm weather in Georgia, where Ed retired from the Air Force. After nearly 40 years of marriage, Ed passed away in 1993.Several years later, an old high school beau inquired about Judy after she didn’t attend their 50th high school reunion. Norman Eugene Clampitt tracked her down, and after a long-distance romance, Judy moved back to Indiana and married Norm in 2000. Her angst about shivering through frigid Hoosier winters was trumped by her affection for Norm and moving closer to family. After Norm passed away in 2010, Judy stayed active, ever devoted as a parent to taking care of Mark, who is developmentally disabled. When he was diagnosed at a young age, the professional advice was to place him in a home. But there was only one home for Mark. That was with Judy. She always understood that family matters most. She was dedicated and faithful to Mark to her final day, as well as to Jan and Dee, and they to her. In her advancing years, Judy could always count on a nightly phone call from Jan. Whenever Dee called to take her out to dinner, she was thrilled to meet us.While other seasoned individuals in the twilight of their years are just grateful to get up in the morning, Judy still enjoyed bowling with the St. Jude Ladies and water aerobics at the YMCA. She loved birds, which meant keeping her feeder filled. She loved antiques. It’s nothing short of amazing how many collections she had in her home. If you talked with Judy recently, you inevitably couldn’t help but admire how she still had that spunk. In recent years, she was advised that if anybody ever questioned her about anything, remember one of the last lines in actress Jessica Tandy’s final movie. Tell them, “I’m entitled.” Judy certainly earned that. We should all be so fortunate to have the longevity of such an enriched life. We already miss you beyond words, Judy, and you will be in our hearts forever.Judy was a member of Southport Christian Heights Church. She is survived by three children, Janis Norris, Mark Johnson and Dee Johnson, and one granddaughter, Cassandra Norris, all of Indianapolis, as well as extended family.