Marian Rockwood Johnson, our beloved matriarch, passed away on the fifth of May, 2016 at her home on Harrison Avenue, where she lived for sixty-nine years.
She was born March 28, 1921 in Salt Lake City to Julius Apollos Rockwood and Mary Ellen Hill, the youngest child of a large, boisterous, and happy family.
She graduated from East High School and the University of Utah, where she earned a degree in business, an unusual fete in the 1940's, and where she affiliated with Delta Gamma Sorority.
On August 19, 1942, Marian married her first love, Ray Clawson Johnson, in the Salt Lake temple. World War II dictated the circumstances of their early life and the couple moved, with their first child, to California, where Ray was stationed with the Army.
After the war, they made their home in Salt Lake City, where Ray helped found Maxfield's Candy Company, while Marian cared for her ailing mother and raised four children.
An energetic, accomplished, and elegant lady, Marian infused her refined sense of taste and style into every endeavor, whether it was decorating a table, arranging flowers, planting her garden, piecing a quilt, or sewing a dress. She especially enjoyed creating classy ensembles to wear to monthly outings at the Bonneville Dance Club at the old Hotel Utah, where she saved only one dance, the very last one, for her husband because, in her words, "He wasn't exactly light on his feet." She often said, "We lived in the best time."
Marian was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission with her husband, who presided over the Norway, Oslo mission from 1969 to 1972. The young missionaries who served then will remember her telling them, "Look sharp. Be sharp." Learning another language in her late forties proved challenging, but she was determined to deliver her addresses from the pulpit in Norwegian. She and Ray cultivated lifelong friendships with the people there, and all things "Norwegian" became a hallmark of the Johnson family culture.
Among many other church callings, Marian served on the Relief Society General Board, where she shared her creative talents, and authored a book on homemaking skills that is still in use today. On making a lovely home she used to say, "You can never have too many dishes or tablecloths."
Ever a socialite, Marian valued people and parties. She belonged, for seventy years, to "Long Ago Gleaners" (LAGS), vintage bridge groups, and through the years participated in multiple dinner clubs hosted by caring friends.
Proud of her pioneer heritage, Marian was the Rockwood family historian and enjoyed documenting the lives of her relatives. As many of her ancestors settled Sugar House, she had an affinity for the area and its history, and in her later years championed the burgeoning arts community there, working to ensure artists had a pleasant environment for their creative pursuits.
Her family members will fondly remember the quilts and costumes Grandma Marian made for them, the creamed cauliflower she brought to gatherings, the lively annual Christmas party she hosted, and the sleepovers, when Grandma, the quintessential night owl, wore out the grandchildren playing Rummikub and watching old, classic movies.
More important, they'll remember her gift for making each grandchild feel as if he or she was Grandma's favorite, and will never forget her exemplary love in caring for Ray, who suffered for many years with Alzheimer's Disease.
Marian was preceded in death by her parents, eleven siblings, husband, Ray Johnson; and their infant daughter, Lynda. She is survived by her daughters Julie (David Monson) and Janet (Richard Tanner - currently presiding in the Philippines, Cebu East Mission); sons, James (Laurie Grant) and David (Kimberly Allsop); twenty-one grandchildren, and thirty-eight great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Lawn Mortuary, 2350 East and 1300 South. Friends may also call on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Colonial Hills Ward Building, 1455 South 1700 East. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News from May 8 to May 9, 2016.
She was born March 28, 1921 in Salt Lake City to Julius Apollos Rockwood and Mary Ellen Hill, the youngest child of a large, boisterous, and happy family.
She graduated from East High School and the University of Utah, where she earned a degree in business, an unusual fete in the 1940's, and where she affiliated with Delta Gamma Sorority.
On August 19, 1942, Marian married her first love, Ray Clawson Johnson, in the Salt Lake temple. World War II dictated the circumstances of their early life and the couple moved, with their first child, to California, where Ray was stationed with the Army.
After the war, they made their home in Salt Lake City, where Ray helped found Maxfield's Candy Company, while Marian cared for her ailing mother and raised four children.
An energetic, accomplished, and elegant lady, Marian infused her refined sense of taste and style into every endeavor, whether it was decorating a table, arranging flowers, planting her garden, piecing a quilt, or sewing a dress. She especially enjoyed creating classy ensembles to wear to monthly outings at the Bonneville Dance Club at the old Hotel Utah, where she saved only one dance, the very last one, for her husband because, in her words, "He wasn't exactly light on his feet." She often said, "We lived in the best time."
Marian was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission with her husband, who presided over the Norway, Oslo mission from 1969 to 1972. The young missionaries who served then will remember her telling them, "Look sharp. Be sharp." Learning another language in her late forties proved challenging, but she was determined to deliver her addresses from the pulpit in Norwegian. She and Ray cultivated lifelong friendships with the people there, and all things "Norwegian" became a hallmark of the Johnson family culture.
Among many other church callings, Marian served on the Relief Society General Board, where she shared her creative talents, and authored a book on homemaking skills that is still in use today. On making a lovely home she used to say, "You can never have too many dishes or tablecloths."
Ever a socialite, Marian valued people and parties. She belonged, for seventy years, to "Long Ago Gleaners" (LAGS), vintage bridge groups, and through the years participated in multiple dinner clubs hosted by caring friends.
Proud of her pioneer heritage, Marian was the Rockwood family historian and enjoyed documenting the lives of her relatives. As many of her ancestors settled Sugar House, she had an affinity for the area and its history, and in her later years championed the burgeoning arts community there, working to ensure artists had a pleasant environment for their creative pursuits.
Her family members will fondly remember the quilts and costumes Grandma Marian made for them, the creamed cauliflower she brought to gatherings, the lively annual Christmas party she hosted, and the sleepovers, when Grandma, the quintessential night owl, wore out the grandchildren playing Rummikub and watching old, classic movies.
More important, they'll remember her gift for making each grandchild feel as if he or she was Grandma's favorite, and will never forget her exemplary love in caring for Ray, who suffered for many years with Alzheimer's Disease.
Marian was preceded in death by her parents, eleven siblings, husband, Ray Johnson; and their infant daughter, Lynda. She is survived by her daughters Julie (David Monson) and Janet (Richard Tanner - currently presiding in the Philippines, Cebu East Mission); sons, James (Laurie Grant) and David (Kimberly Allsop); twenty-one grandchildren, and thirty-eight great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Lawn Mortuary, 2350 East and 1300 South. Friends may also call on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Colonial Hills Ward Building, 1455 South 1700 East. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News from May 8 to May 9, 2016.
Marian Rockwood Johnson, our beloved matriarch, passed away on the fifth of May, 2016 at her home on Harrison Avenue, where she lived for sixty-nine years.
She was born March 28, 1921 in Salt Lake City to Julius Apollos Rockwood and Mary Ellen Hill, the youngest child of a large, boisterous, and happy family.
She graduated from East High School and the University of Utah, where she earned a degree in business, an unusual fete in the 1940's, and where she affiliated with Delta Gamma Sorority.
On August 19, 1942, Marian married her first love, Ray Clawson Johnson, in the Salt Lake temple. World War II dictated the circumstances of their early life and the couple moved, with their first child, to California, where Ray was stationed with the Army.
After the war, they made their home in Salt Lake City, where Ray helped found Maxfield's Candy Company, while Marian cared for her ailing mother and raised four children.
An energetic, accomplished, and elegant lady, Marian infused her refined sense of taste and style into every endeavor, whether it was decorating a table, arranging flowers, planting her garden, piecing a quilt, or sewing a dress. She especially enjoyed creating classy ensembles to wear to monthly outings at the Bonneville Dance Club at the old Hotel Utah, where she saved only one dance, the very last one, for her husband because, in her words, "He wasn't exactly light on his feet." She often said, "We lived in the best time."
Marian was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission with her husband, who presided over the Norway, Oslo mission from 1969 to 1972. The young missionaries who served then will remember her telling them, "Look sharp. Be sharp." Learning another language in her late forties proved challenging, but she was determined to deliver her addresses from the pulpit in Norwegian. She and Ray cultivated lifelong friendships with the people there, and all things "Norwegian" became a hallmark of the Johnson family culture.
Among many other church callings, Marian served on the Relief Society General Board, where she shared her creative talents, and authored a book on homemaking skills that is still in use today. On making a lovely home she used to say, "You can never have too many dishes or tablecloths."
Ever a socialite, Marian valued people and parties. She belonged, for seventy years, to "Long Ago Gleaners" (LAGS), vintage bridge groups, and through the years participated in multiple dinner clubs hosted by caring friends.
Proud of her pioneer heritage, Marian was the Rockwood family historian and enjoyed documenting the lives of her relatives. As many of her ancestors settled Sugar House, she had an affinity for the area and its history, and in her later years championed the burgeoning arts community there, working to ensure artists had a pleasant environment for their creative pursuits.
Her family members will fondly remember the quilts and costumes Grandma Marian made for them, the creamed cauliflower she brought to gatherings, the lively annual Christmas party she hosted, and the sleepovers, when Grandma, the quintessential night owl, wore out the grandchildren playing Rummikub and watching old, classic movies.
More important, they'll remember her gift for making each grandchild feel as if he or she was Grandma's favorite, and will never forget her exemplary love in caring for Ray, who suffered for many years with Alzheimer's Disease.
Marian was preceded in death by her parents, eleven siblings, husband, Ray Johnson; and their infant daughter, Lynda. She is survived by her daughters Julie (David Monson) and Janet (Richard Tanner - currently presiding in the Philippines, Cebu East Mission); sons, James (Laurie Grant) and David (Kimberly Allsop); twenty-one grandchildren, and thirty-eight great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Lawn Mortuary, 2350 East and 1300 South. Friends may also call on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Colonial Hills Ward Building, 1455 South 1700 East. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News from May 8 to May 9, 2016.
She was born March 28, 1921 in Salt Lake City to Julius Apollos Rockwood and Mary Ellen Hill, the youngest child of a large, boisterous, and happy family.
She graduated from East High School and the University of Utah, where she earned a degree in business, an unusual fete in the 1940's, and where she affiliated with Delta Gamma Sorority.
On August 19, 1942, Marian married her first love, Ray Clawson Johnson, in the Salt Lake temple. World War II dictated the circumstances of their early life and the couple moved, with their first child, to California, where Ray was stationed with the Army.
After the war, they made their home in Salt Lake City, where Ray helped found Maxfield's Candy Company, while Marian cared for her ailing mother and raised four children.
An energetic, accomplished, and elegant lady, Marian infused her refined sense of taste and style into every endeavor, whether it was decorating a table, arranging flowers, planting her garden, piecing a quilt, or sewing a dress. She especially enjoyed creating classy ensembles to wear to monthly outings at the Bonneville Dance Club at the old Hotel Utah, where she saved only one dance, the very last one, for her husband because, in her words, "He wasn't exactly light on his feet." She often said, "We lived in the best time."
Marian was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission with her husband, who presided over the Norway, Oslo mission from 1969 to 1972. The young missionaries who served then will remember her telling them, "Look sharp. Be sharp." Learning another language in her late forties proved challenging, but she was determined to deliver her addresses from the pulpit in Norwegian. She and Ray cultivated lifelong friendships with the people there, and all things "Norwegian" became a hallmark of the Johnson family culture.
Among many other church callings, Marian served on the Relief Society General Board, where she shared her creative talents, and authored a book on homemaking skills that is still in use today. On making a lovely home she used to say, "You can never have too many dishes or tablecloths."
Ever a socialite, Marian valued people and parties. She belonged, for seventy years, to "Long Ago Gleaners" (LAGS), vintage bridge groups, and through the years participated in multiple dinner clubs hosted by caring friends.
Proud of her pioneer heritage, Marian was the Rockwood family historian and enjoyed documenting the lives of her relatives. As many of her ancestors settled Sugar House, she had an affinity for the area and its history, and in her later years championed the burgeoning arts community there, working to ensure artists had a pleasant environment for their creative pursuits.
Her family members will fondly remember the quilts and costumes Grandma Marian made for them, the creamed cauliflower she brought to gatherings, the lively annual Christmas party she hosted, and the sleepovers, when Grandma, the quintessential night owl, wore out the grandchildren playing Rummikub and watching old, classic movies.
More important, they'll remember her gift for making each grandchild feel as if he or she was Grandma's favorite, and will never forget her exemplary love in caring for Ray, who suffered for many years with Alzheimer's Disease.
Marian was preceded in death by her parents, eleven siblings, husband, Ray Johnson; and their infant daughter, Lynda. She is survived by her daughters Julie (David Monson) and Janet (Richard Tanner - currently presiding in the Philippines, Cebu East Mission); sons, James (Laurie Grant) and David (Kimberly Allsop); twenty-one grandchildren, and thirty-eight great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Lawn Mortuary, 2350 East and 1300 South. Friends may also call on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Colonial Hills Ward Building, 1455 South 1700 East. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News from May 8 to May 9, 2016.
Family Members
Siblings
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William Apollos Rockwood
1902–1903
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Ardella Rockwood Lowry
1904–1990
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Clarence LeRoy Rockwood
1905–1977
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Claude Hill Rockwood
1907–1928
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Leone Rockwood Neslen
1910–2004
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Wendell Hood Rockwood
1911–2001
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Lewis Frederick "Luke" Rockwood
1912–1991
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Oleah Rockwood Yoho
1915–1993
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Naomi Rockwood
1918–1918
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Twin Boys Rockwood
1923–1923
Children
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