Harriet Jan Hester Johnson

1941 - 2020

Harriet Jan Hester Johnson
November 26, 1941 - December 1, 2020
Paintsville, Kentucky - Harriet Jan Hester Johnson, age 79, of Paintsville, Kentucky, passed away Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at her home.
Harriet was born November 26, 1941 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, daughter of the late John Robert and Edna Opal Pitman Hester. As a young lady, she lived in Charlotte, North Carolina and Coral Gables, Florida. She attended Myers Park High School, and she was a member of Myers Park United Methodist Church. Following high school, she attended Duke University for her undergraduate degree, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and Duke Homecoming Court. Following Duke, she attended Southern Methodist University for her graduate level work. While at Duke, she met Stephen Howes Johnson whom she married in December of 1964 and who preceded her in January of 2002.
She then moved to Paintsville, Kentucky where she worked in specialized remedial reading for Johnson County Schools. Later in life, she studied computers at Mayo Vocational School, and then worked to digitize her husband's family law firm - at that time, making it one of the most modern offices in Eastern Kentucky. As an adult, Harriet was a lover of bridge, fitness, and especially golf. She loved to watch sports and cheered for both the University of Kentucky and Duke University. She also loved life, to travel, to listen to beach music, and to make new friends.
She is survived by one daughter, Jan Leigh Johnson Patton, one son-in-law, Robert Joseph Patton and two grandchildren, William Joseph Patton and Lauren Jan Patton, all of Paintsville, Kentucky. She is also survived by a host of friends, including the Johnson and Floyd County Bridge Clubs. For expressions of sympathy in Harriet's honor, the family is requesting contributions to Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church.
Jones-Preston Funeral Home caring for arrangements. www.jones-prestonfuneralhome.com