Juanita Johnson Thompson's Obituary
Funeral service for Mrs. Juanita Johnson Thompson, 87 of Lufkin will be held at 11 AM, Saturday, June 28,2025, at Church of Christ, 904 O'Quinn Ave Lufkin. Burial will follow in the Cedar Grove Cemetery.
On April 5, 1938 a baby girl was born to the union of Eddie "Fee" Johnson and Margie Conway in the Angelina County Lumber Company Jogging camp identified as AcoJ, Texas. She was given the first name of Juanita, but no mjddJe name. In elementary school, her teacher encouraged her to select a middle name for herself and after trying out several names, Joyce was the final selection.
Juanita Joyce Johnson lived in various places in East Texas, traveling with her parents and great-grandparents, Ed and Sudy Conway, to worksites in Groveton and Keltys, and finally settling on Culverhouse Street in Lufkin in the early 1950's. She attended Brandon Elementary School and graduated from Dunbar High School in 1954. After high school she enrolled in Prairie View A&M College, successfully earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1958 and she received a Master of Education degree from Prairie View in 1964. Using her degrees, she worked in several Texas public schools in Longview, Edna and Fort Worth as a librarian and teacher. Throughout her teaching career, she continued to earn degree credits which enhanced her skills. With her impressive teaching credentials she taught students in the public school systems in Jefferson County, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois and New York City. She received numerous recognitions and acknowledgements from school leaders, parents, and students, for her devotion to educating and inspiring children. She retired from the New York City Department of Education in the summer of 2001.
In the months after retiring, she continued to travel from her home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to New York City to visit friends and several businesses where she had been a patron during her work years. One of these visits occurred on September 11, 2001. When she did not respond to telephone calls throughout the day, her family and friends worried that she was in New York. In fact, she was. She cut short her doctor's visit in Manhattan, and reached the Greyhound bus station with hopes of taking a bus back to Cherry Hill, but no buses were running. Along with several folks she recognized as fellow bus riders, she began walking to get out of New York City. It wasn't until late that day that she and her group got to a location in northern New Jersey where someone shared with them a cell phone so that they could reach their families.
Juanita Thompson lived her faith. As a child she worshipped with her family at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in
Keltys. She married Joe M. Thompson and with him and their children, worshipped at the churches of Christ at
O'Quinn St in Lufkin; Stop Six in Forth Worth; East Denver in Denver, Colorado; Stony Island in Chicago, Illinois and Collingswood in New Jersey. As she was a proficient typist she served as church secretary at several of these churches, typing and preparing Sunday bulletins and helping to organize the church Vacation Bible School programs.
Juanita leaves for us cherished memories of her faithful study of the Bible, her steadfast prayer life, her dedication to her vast community of family and friends, and her unwavering generosity. She will also be remembered for supporting the Dallas Cowboys, and while enjoying a Coca-Cola, Ray's hamburgers and pineapple malts, Blue Bell ice cream, Fritos and donuts, which she readily and often shared with others.
Those who are left to cherish her are: her children Sumara, Joe Jr. and Robbie; her son-in-law, John; her granddaughters Julia (Justin), Camille (Chris) and Skye; her great-grandsons Carson and Benjamin; her brothers Elrick, Kenneth and Willie Ray (Regina); her cousin Sandra (Ray), and Joe M. Thompson. She also leaves to cherish her a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
What’s your fondest memory of Juanita?
What’s a lesson you learned from Juanita?
Share a story where Juanita's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Juanita you’ll never forget.
How did Juanita make you smile?