Hope Carol Johnson

Hope Carol Johnson was born February 18, 1944, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Rodmann Fellows of Trumansburg, NY, though she was born in Utica. Her mother Barbara chose the name “Hope” because because it was her hope that the child would be a baby girl. 

The girl grew into a young woman on the dairy farm of her Cornell educated parents and summered at her beloved grandfather Archie Stearns’ camp in the Adirondacks. Her vocational aspirations would lead her even farther north, to SUNY Plattsburgh’s nursing program. On the first day she met Marje Herring, who bounded up to her and told her they were going to be best friends. They were, right up until Marie’s passing in 2016.

Hope found many friends along the way, a result of her passion for people and service. Baptized in her youth, she was a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ. She became intrinsically involved in the goings-on of every church she belonged to, most prominently Trinity Church in Seneca Falls, NY; and most recently St. John’s Episcopal Church in Eau Gallie, FL.

At Trinity, she served as warden and on the Vestry, directed the altar guild, spearheaded the catering ministry Martha’s Kitchen and a meal service for the underserved called Helping Hands, and on and on. Her greatest joy, however, came from singing with the choir in her unmistakable soprano vibrato. 

Her love of music was passed on to her children Barbara and Stephen, to whom she dedicated her life until the end. Hope designed costumes for their high school as well as many other theatrical productions. An avid reader, she had a wealth of knowledge, but was best known for her knitting, turning out impeccable creations with unmatched speed, skill and care.

After her early nursing career, Hope shifted to becoming an addiction and youth counselor. In this new role she made a difference in the lives of countless young people, most notably through her work at Camp NaCOAra. She was proud to return to her RN practice later in life, both before and after leaving New York to settle in the warmer climes of the Florida Space Coast.

It was then that she was able to take on her most cherished role, as Nana to her grandson and two granddaughters. Her love of cooking, baking, crafting, and spending time were generously shared with “The Kids”, whom she adored. If a life can be measured in how much goodness and joy one shared with other people, few could say they lived a life as rich as Hope’s. 

Hope is survived by her older brother Arthur of Culpeper, VA and preceded by her younger brother Bruce of Trumansburg, NY.  She is also survived by her children Barbara (Andrew Swartz) and Stephen Johnson; Barbara’s son Liam Swartz and daughter Sophia Swartz; and Stephen’s daughter Genevieve Johnson.