Sonya Jo Johnson

Sonya Jo Johnson passed away at her home in Houston on Monday, August 24, 2015 at the age of 72, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. She left this world peacefully with all three of her children present at her side: Lori Lynn Johnson of Rosharon, TX, Kenneth "Casey" Johnson Jr. of Houston, TX, and Wendi Lea Johnson and her partner Candace Annette England of Gilmer, TX. Granddaughter Lauren Shirine Sharifian and Great Granddaughter Lana Lynn Peterson, of Saginaw, TX, were also present by phone. Sonya was born in Haynesville, LA to Alvin "Joe" Eddie Shirley and Mary "Virginia" Abney on October 18, 1942. From age 5, Sonya and her brother Milton "Mickey" Eddie Shirley were raised by Joe and their beloved stepmother Ida Lee Entrican. Joe, an oilfield pilot, died in a plane crash when Sonya was attending Texas Tech University. She was also preceded in death by Virginia and Ida. Sonya met and married Kenneth Craig Johnson, the father of her three children, while attending Texas Tech. Both graduated from Tech in 1962. When they divorced in 1975, she entered the workforce. She found her niche in sales with General Binding Corp (GBC). Being the first woman promoted to branch manager for GBC, she trailblazed her way to the Houston area. After retirement, she pursued her passion in gardening, returning to school and earning a Master Gardener's license. This license enabled her to fulfill her dream of becoming a landscape designer. Besides her family, the one thing that brought the most joy to Sonya was music. She loved to sing, dance, and play the piano. She was involved in church choirs and the Bayou City Women's Chorus. Sonya enjoyed sports--a loyal and enthusiastic fan of the Houston Rockets, Astros, and Texans. Her hobbies included traveling, camping, bowling, softball, birding and gardening. Because of her love of life and nurturing attitude for any living thing, she was adored and cherished by all who crossed her path. She leaves us with a feeling of joy to have been a part of her life. To honor her giving nature, the family requests that donations be made to Make-A-Wish Foundation, in lieu of flowers. A celebration of Sonya's life will be held at the Houston Arboretum in Emmott Circle on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at 10 o'clock in the morning, with a reception to follow at the family's home.