Judith Johnson

Judith (Judi) Maxine Maye (Schweppe) Johnson July 19 1936 April 10 2020 On April 10th we lost our beloved mom. Judi was born on July 19th 1936 in Wakefield, Nebraska. She was the eldest of 3 children born to Melvin Albert Schweppe and Erma Maren (Sorensen) Schweppe. They moved to Oregon in 1938 settling in Eugene and eventually residing in a house on Seventh near Polk street, where the house still stands. She attended school locally, was a majorette for the marching band at Eugene High, she could really twirl that baton, before graduating 1954. She married Norman C. Johnson in 1954 and later moved to San Jose, California where she made some lifelong friends. She worked as a telephone operator in California and then in Oregon when she moved back to Eugene after her divorce. Judi worked at the University of Oregon Bookstore from 1966 to her retirement in 1998 where she was personnel manager. She enjoyed her years with the bookstore and had many stories to tell of ‘rush time’ and the stanchions her father made by cementing posts into painted coffee cans to shepherd people through the lines to buy books and supplies, the athletes she was excited to meet and chat with, and the many personal friendships she developed during that time. The list is long of current and past employees she hired during her time, we remember her saying she always looked at whether applicants were wearing sensible shoes because she knew the many hours of being on one's feet the job required. Mom enjoyed both theatre and music and caught her theatre bug as a child performing in several presentations locally. She was a member of the Very Little Theatre from 1969 until her death. She participated in many aspects of community theatre, directing and co-directing, acting and being a long time box office manager for the VLT she also served as president 1976-77. She was a season ticket holder for performances at Actors Cabaret, Hult Center & The Shedd, and often traveled to Florence, OR to enjoy the Jazz Kings. Judi was a huge fan of sports and followed the Oregon sports program, was a previous member of Daisy Ducks, enjoyed track and field events, and held season tickets for over 50 years, for both men’s football and basketball ending only when physically unable to attend. She attended the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. All of these were usually in the company of her sister Barbara. Mom was like google maps for the old locations of movie theatres, including drive-ins, dance halls, skating rinks, and restaurants to which she frequented, most of the youngsters were surprised that, if it was still there, you would see an airfield looking out the windows of the current family home on 24th off Chambers. She was preceded in death by her first born child Norman Charles Johson Jr.(Chip) in 1978, her sister Barbara Schweppe in 2018 and her parents Melvin (1991) & Erma (1989). She is survived by her children Lori Johnson, Lynn Stutts & Brian Johnson all of Eugene, her brother Rodney K. Schweppe & niece Kailah Schweppe of Keizer, her grandkids Annastacia (Johnson) Wright, Nicole Stutts and Alisia Epple of Eugene, her great grandkids Alyjah, Mikael & Austin of Eugene, and all her cousins around the states. In lieu of flowers the family requests you make a donation to your favorite charity in her memory. A memorial service will be held at a later date, when we are free to gather, at Musgrove Family Chapel.