Obituary of Loretha (Lori) Grace Johnson

STOW - Loretha (“Lori”) Grace Johnson was born June 10, 1937 and passed away on June 23, 2020. She slipped away quietly as her husband of nearly 59 years, Dave Johnson, and their daughter, Deb Reske, were by her side, with her granddaughter, Alana, holding her hand. After her stroke on June 5th, her family was constantly beside her, with Dave, daughter Deb (husband Jim); sons Dan (wife Lisa), Doug, and Dwight (wife Tami); and grandkids Maria (husband Jeremy), Mark, Alana, Carson, Noah, and Benjamin) each telling her how much she meant to them. In those last two weeks, relatives and close friends were able to communicate the impact Lori had on their lives, and she was able to give each one a special message of love. Lori was a farm girl from Emerson, Iowa. She is survived by her older brother, Merrill Allen, who still maintains the century farm where Lori was born. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews. Lori married a Chicago boy and together they served the Lord through their 50 years of Christian ministry with the Navigators in Indiana, Germany, New Jersey, and Maryland before settling in Stow, Ohio. She was an amazing wife and teammate to Dave and they lovingly impacted thousands of peoples’ lives. Lori was an example of Christlikeness to us all – she had a quiet, sweet, joyful disposition and loved people without expecting anything in return. She enjoyed traveling, tennis, skiing, and scrapbooking. She was especially gifted in hospitality and graciously opened her home to friends and strangers alike. Her children say that she was the best mom they could have ever had. Lori treated her son-in-law and daughters-in-law as if they were her own flesh and blood. She was beloved by her grandkids. “Nana” babysat countless hours. She was their greatest cheerleader and loved listening to them. Nana documented her grandkids’ lives with annual birthday letters. Lori was a quiet and wise spiritual mentor to a number of women and led many Bible studies and prayer groups. She possessed inner strength without ever drawing attention to herself, as evidenced by her long fight with kidney disease, and fighting necrotizing vasculitis into remission three different times over the past 10 years. A private memorial service for immediate family is being held on Friday, June 26 at The Chapel in Akron. Drive-thru calling hours will be held at Christ Community Chapel in Hudson on Tuesday, June 30 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate your consideration of a donation to the Haven of Rest Ministries, 175 East Market Street, Akron, OH 44308, www.havenofrest.org.