Helen Johnson
Helen Shirley Sanders Johnson, 78, passed away on Friday, May 24, 2019, in the Hospice of Chattanooga Care facility after a year-long battle with lymphoma.
Helen was born in Evansville, In., in 1941 to the late Robert Frank Sanders and Mary Louise Melsoni Sanders. She was a graduate of Ensley High School (Birmingham) class of 1958 and Birmingham Baptist Hospital School of Nursing class of 1961. Helen married Thelbert Winford Johnson on February 2, 1963. They lived in Albany, Ga., while Winford was stationed with the Marines. They eventually moved to Hixson, where they settled and lived for over 55 years. She was employed as a registered nurse by Memorial Hospital and North Park Hospital and finished her career as a nursing consult for Provident Insurance Company. She retired in 1995 as soon as her youngest daughter graduated from college.
Helen and Winford were members of Bible Baptist Church of Hixson. She loved to read her Bible, put puzzles together, laugh and travel with Winford, and play cards and games competitively with her kids and grandkids.
In addition to her parents, Helen was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Frank Sanders, Jr. (Bobby).
Survivors include her beloved husband of 56 years, Thelbert Winford Johnson; sister Margaret Rasp of Alabaster; daughters: Lisa Stoker (Nathan) of Rossville, Jan Johnson (PV Sivakumar) of Seattle, and Debra Duchock (Shane) of Marietta, Ga.; granddaughters Christy Rose, Gina Aslinger, and Emelia Duchock; grandsons: Sidhanth Sivakumar and Ethan Duchock; great-grandchildren Macie, Paige and Carson Stanfield. She is also survived by many loving cousins, nieces and nephews, friends and her church family.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, 5401 Highway 153 with the Reverend Mike Bates and Gene Bennett officiating. Burial will be in Hamilton Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, at the funeral home.
Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaNorthChapel.com.