Joanne Elizabeth Johnson

Joanne Elizabeth (Howard/Gaulin) Johnson completed her life journey at the age of 91,surrounded in love, in Clemson, South Carolina, on Friday, December 20, 2024. She was the daughter of the late Ethel and Vernon Howard of Hodgdon, Maine, and was born to them on January 7, 1933.

Joanne can be best described as a woman who embraced life with a tenacious grip and one who strategically steered a path to engage with what pleased her most: an affirmation of love. In a set of strategies that one could best describe as the expertise of a trapeze artist, she swung from one podium to the next, knowing, and rightly so, that the safety net of familial love and faith in God would protect her. But, if you stepped back to review her life, you would see that what she truly enjoyed, as the saying goes, was the journey far more than the destination. She delighted in her ability to stay in-motion, and her life became a testament to what can be achieved through a kinetic search to find something worthwhile to hold onto. In this, Joanne(aka: Grammy / Nannie) observed life as an ecstatic joy ride, and although she endured many moments of great sorrow and grief, none of them ever slowed down her momentum. This passionate momentum for life often left her family in an accumulated state of exasperated love, but, in retrospect, none of them would have ever asked her to change a thing. Her life became and will forever be an integral part of their lives. She continuously provided them with rounds of head-shaking, knee-slapping laughter, which, in turn, connected them with a force they could share. It became clear that Joanne never saw true love as stagnant, and her life story must be compiled through this mindset.

Besides her telling of her survival of the The Circus Fire of 1944 in Hartford CT, little is known about her childhood spent in New England. But those who grew up listening to the stories of her youth will remember how she described her family as poor, at times destitute, living with very little. She never had the camaraderie of a sister, but she often described her early memories of living with her older brothers, Don and Bobby. When her father, Vernon Howard, decided to leave with her two brothers to build a new life in Maine while he invited her to join them, Joanne declined. She often described this day when she decided to stay with her mother, Ethel, in Connecticut as a highly emotional yet pivotal moment for her ten-year-old self. This choice was crucial because when her mother remarried, she gained an essential male figure who elevated her life. Her stepfather, Anthony Narkawicz, was a man who deeply loved her as his own and served to fill the hole in her heart after her birth father left. She also gained two step-brothers in this new family, Tony Jr. and Marc, and this experience of caring for two younger siblings allowed her to develop an affinity for caring for young children, especially infants. Motherhood was definitely in her future.

In 1953, she married Raymond Carolus Gaulin and gave birth to three children: Raymond Jr., Susan, and Kathleen. In 1972, she chose to end this union and managed to construct a new life as a single mom. She continued working at The Hannon Insurance Agency and created a new life for her two daughters, who were still in grade school. After a long courtship, she married  James Johnson in 1980 and enjoyed many vacation cruises at sea, enjoying learning the game of Black Jack, and socializing with a robust group of friends. They resided in Glastonbury, Connecticut, for many years until moving to Pompano Beach, Florida, where they enjoyed building a new life together. While in the Sunshine State, she continued to work outside the home while also enjoying a dynamic social life at St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church in Pompano Beach, FL. She was employed as an assistant manager for a short time for a large assisted-living facility, which afforded her some flexibility in visiting family in the Northeast. Also, because she had always wanted to study to become a registered nurse and her early life never created an opportunity to do so, she returned to school in her late sixties to become a medical assistant (MA). As a straight-A student working with many classmates much younger than herself, Joanne created confidence in herself to achieve her dream of working in the medical profession, and upon graduation in 1991, she gained employment as a MA in a local doctor's office. She thoroughly enjoyed this occupation and her family was thrilled at her accomplishment. 

When her second husband, James Johnson, passed away in 2008, a stagnant, weeping widow Joanne was never to become. There are not enough words to explain what came next, but it is safe to say that she soon found love and companionship and at the fine young age of 80, invitations were sent out to announce her marriage to Edward Gilvey on August 13, 2011. This event was an epic party that friends and family will remember as one of Joanne’s finest days.  Joanne and Edward resided In South Florida until Edward unexpectedly died in August 2013 which prompted Joanne to return to Pompano Beach to begin again. 

Friendships were the fountain of youth for a single octogenarian in Pompano Beach, and Joanne soon afforded great independence and companionship in strengthening new and old relationships. Her weekly card games, dinners with The Girls, and casino runs with her best friend, Barbara, gave her complete joy and fulfillment. During this time, she also maintained a full dance card with gentleman callers who would often find her passion for living irresistible. Her relationships continued to fulfill her need for friendship and to have a partner with whom to experience life. But she was also determined to stay close to her family in the Northeast and continually invited her children, grandchildren, and their families to visit her. There are many epic stories of the life and times of visiting Joanne (aka: Grammy / Nannie), which prompted family members to affectionately name the experience of staying with her as a trip to “Grammy / Nannie Land”, where the love lines were short, and the thrill rides of what to expect next always made one want for more.

In 2022, Joanne Johnson turned 90; as expected, this milestone birthday would not go unnoticed. Family and friends traveled to Florida to celebrate the day at the Parliament House condo association in Pompano Beach, FL, and although her body was significantly weakened by arthritis, Joanne enjoyed celebrating her life and times all in attendance. Soon thereafter, Joanne’s health declined to the point that it was evident that she needed to move closer to family. She agreed to sell her condo in Florida and reside in South Carolina to live closer to her son Raymond and his family. While residing at the Belvedere Assisted Living facility in Seneca, SC, Joanne met Richard Rochester, who would become her final companion. This soft-spoken southern gentleman fulfilled her need for companionship, and they spent many good days with one another. After Richard’s passing in the fall of 2024, her health continued to deteriorate, and her family moved her to the Clemson Downs facility. Here, Joanne received the high-quality skilled nursing care she needed, and her family was relieved to see her in a place where she was well-assisted and comfortable. Still, she never ceased and continued to try to stay in-motion. Her family has stories of her final days when she insisted that she had a place to go and would even attempt to wiggle out of her bed on her own to get where she needed to go. Joanne always wanted to keep moving, but her body had other plans.

Joanne passed away peacefully in a palliative care private room at the Clemson Downs on December 19, 2024. In the hours leading up to her death, distant family members expressed their final goodbyes via FaceTime to a woman who, ironically, often left them speechless. It was a cathartic, beautiful send-off for a woman who never enjoyed saying goodbye, but this time she did not have to. All she had to do was listen to the many I love you(s) and We will miss you forever, Grammy/Mom/ Nannie.

You were magnanimous, Joanne E. (Howard) Johnson, a force larger than life, and let it be known that you did everything right. You kept us all engaged in laughter, in various states of exasperated joy, and continued to ride us upon a river of your steadfast love. Life is ephemeral, but the energy you leave us with is tangible and consistent. It will keep us afloat in the days to come every time we begin a story with, “Remember the time when Grammy…”. We will feel your love, and keep the memory of you alive, and always, in-motion. 

Joanne is survived by her two brothers Marc (Nancy) Narkawicz and Tony (Melanie) Narkawicz; three children Raymond (Valerie) Gaulin, Susan (Kenny) O’Brien, and Kathleen (Mark) Donovan; eight grandchildren, Staci Serrao, Heather Lawton, Carrie (Nick), Cicero, Jessie (Michael) Manfre, Celeste Mendez, Bryce (Kimberly) Gaulin, Joe Donovan, and Tom Donovan; ten great-grandchildren Logan, Marley, Ryder, Makenna, Dylan, Mekhi, Isabella, Caleb, Harper and Maggie and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brothers Donald and Robert Howard.

The family would like to thank the staff at Belvedere Commons of Seneca, SC, and Clemson Downs of Clemson SC for their steadfast care and concern for Joanne. We will forever be grateful for your loving service and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you enjoy a party, play a game of Blackjack, or attend a faith service.