Mary E. Johnson

Mary Elizabeth Johnson (English) passed away peacefully on June 25, 2025 just a month before her 88th birthday.

Mary was born on July 25, 1937, in Chillicothe, Ohio, to Malcolm and Marjorie (Dixon) English. She spent her early years in Chillicothe and Perrysburg before attending Duke University, where she earned a degree in psychology. It was there she met Walter “Wally” Johnson, whom she married on September 1, 1959. They shared 61 years of marriage until his passing in 2020.

After college, Mary and Wally moved to Bethesda, Maryland, where they raised their family and built a life rooted in community and the arts. Mary had a long and meaningful career as a press agent and publicist for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She was a strong advocate for classical music and worked to broaden access to the arts for people of all backgrounds. She also served as press agent for renowned cellist Janos Starker for more than 15 years.

Mary had a wide range of interests and talents. She enjoyed traveling with her family, especially camping trips and international adventures. She was a skilled crafter, writer, and singer, and spent many years performing with the Choral Arts Society Choir of Washington, D.C. In retirement, she and Wally returned to Ohio, settling in Bowling Green.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Johnson, and her brother, Charles English. She is survived by her children, William Johnson (Amy Soule) and Marjorie Mays (Gregory); her siblings, Nancy Bleil and Tom English; her grandchildren, Geneva and Barrett Mays; great-grandchildren, Duke and Madeline Mays; and many loving nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 11:30 am at Fort Meigs Union Cemetery, Perrysburg, OH. Witzler-Shank-Walker Funeral Home, Perrysburg, OH. Condolences can be shared at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com