from https://www.cherubinifunerals.com/obituaries/marjorie-jean-johnson/ BEGIN Marjorie Decker Johnson, 92, passed away peacefully at Chatham Hills Nursing home on January 3. Born in Port Richmond and lived in Clifton after her marriage to Edward E. in 1952. She attended Wagner College and graduated from NYU with a degree in Chemistry. She worked at Laboratories in Manhattan as a Chemist. She was active in the Staten Island community ranging from Developmentally Disabled to Historic Preservation. She also volunteered at Richmond Town Library as a Historian and Genealogist. She was a founding member and actively involved in the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries and she wrote several books on Genealogy History. She was also a member of the Staten Island Archeology and Geological societies and as an artist created cartoons for over 10 years. She became Staten Island Woman of Achievement in 1990 and it was one of the highlights of her life. She was also an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church and in her younger years she enjoyed Tennis and Hiking. She was the wife of the late Edward E. Johnson (1971) and mother to the late Ned Johnson (1973). She is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Donohue (Robert) of Berkeley Heights, NJ and Thomas Johnson (Liz) of Old Greenwich, Conn. Also survived by 6 loving grandchildren. Visitation at Cherubini McInerney Funeral Home on Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Funeral leaving at 10:00am with a funeral mass at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 11:00am. Burial at Moravian Cemetery. In Lieu of Flowers contributions to Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries would be appreciated. Viewing Cherubini McInerney Funeral Home 1289 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10302 January 7, 2018 1:00pm - 5:00pm Mass St. John's Episcopal Church 1333 Bay St, Staten Island, NY 10305 January 8, 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm Burial Moravian Cemetery 2205 Richmond Rd, Staten Island, NY 10306 January 8, 2018 12:30pm - 12:45pm END from https://www.silive.com/news/2018/01/marjorie_decker_johnson_an_adv.html BEGIN Marjorie Decker Johnson, an Advance Woman of Achievement, dies at 92 Published: Jan. 05, 2018, 8:57 p.m. By Erik Bascome | tbascome@siadvance.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Marjorie Decker Johnson, an Advance Woman of Achievement in the Class of 1990, known for her work with developmentally disabled children and considered a local historian, has died. Johnson, of Clifton, passed peacefully in her sleep on Jan. 3 at Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center in Chatham, N.J., at age 92. Born alongside her twin brother David on Decker Avenue in Port Richmond, Johnson's ancestors have been on Staten Island since approximately 1691. She graduated from Port Richmond High School before earning a degree in chemistry from New York University. She went on to work in various Manhattan laboratories and in the drafting room of the former Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Mariners Harbor. She met her husband, Edward E. Johnson, at the Staten Island Table Tennis Club. They were later wed at Park Baptist Church, formerly in Port Richmond, in 1952. A TURNING POINT Johnson began her involvement in volunteer work after her first child, Edward D., known as Ned, was born in 1953 with Down syndrome. Three years later, she joined Staten Island Aid for Retarded Children -- the first of eight groups for developmentally disabled children. Sadly, Ned died of pneumonia in 1973 at age 20, followed shortly thereafter by his father Edward's passing in 1975. In 1977, Johnson began her volunteer work with the Staten Island Historical Society at Historic Richmond Town. Johnson worked as a research aide and genealogist during her time at Historic Richmond Town, looking through thousands of documents and photographs to study family histories on Staten Island. When asked to describe her volunteer genealogy research in 2005, Johnson told the Advance, "I feel like a kid in a candy store. I can't make up my mind where to start." Through her extensive research, Johnson found that about 50 Staten Island streets were named after her ancestors, including her home street of Decker Avenue, which was once a part of a distant ancestor's farm. A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER Johnson was extremely dedicated to her volunteer work, doing everything she could to help Staten Islanders learn about their family histories. "She never refuses information to anyone. She'll come here and meet with people, if necessary. She's an inspiration," fellow research assistant Carlotta Beil told the Advance in 2005. Her selection as an Advance of Achievement in 1990 was partly in recognition of her work with developmentally disabled children and partly for her volunteer work as a historian. In 2004, the Council for the Arts and Humanities on Staten Island presented her with the Award for Achievement in the Humanities. Johnson co-authored four volumes on old Staten Island families, wrote articles and book reviews for the society's "Staten Island Historian," and gave dozens of historical tours of the borough's neighborhoods and cemeteries. She was an active member of the Preservation League of Staten Island, the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries, and the Staten Island Geological Society. Johnson was also a collaborator with James Ferreri, writing monthly articles for the Home Section of the Advance. Johnson is survived by her daughter Kimberly Donahue of Berkeley Heights, N.J., her son Thomas E. Johnson, of Old Greenwich, Conn., and her six grandchildren. 'SHE WAS ALWAYS A LEADER' Thomas E. Johnson described his mother as an extremely social, intellectual with a great sense of humor and a wide range of interests. "She was always busy with something. She was into a lot of different causes at a lot of different periods in her life," he recalled. "She didn't always take on the leadership role, but she was always a leader in any groups she was involved with," he added. Among his favorite memories, Thomas recalled their summer-long family camping trips that took them across the country, stopping at numerous national parks along the way. RECOMMENDED The inaugural Pickleball Island Cup is held at Premiere Pickleball Sunday afternoon Feb. 17, 2025, 12:57 a.m. Staten Island’s ‘Community Giants’: Thousands tune in for financial literacy panel discussion Feb. 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m. The wake will be held at Cherubini McInerney Funeral Home, 1289 Forest Ave., on Sunday, Jan. 7, from 1 to 5 p.m. The service will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1333 Bay St., on Monday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. The burial will be held at Moravian Cemetery, 2205 Richmond Rd., on Monday, Jan. 8, at 12:30 p.m. END