Marie Johnson Calloway

Marie Johnson Calloway
February 11, 2018
Resident of Oakland
Marie Johnson died on February 11, 2018 at the age of 97 years old. Her parents were Marie and Sidney Edwards. She was the youngest of four. Her second grade teacher was Norma Africa Marshall, the mother of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court. She graduated from Douglass High School and Coppin Teachers College, and received her B.A. from Morgan State College in Baltimore, MD. She went on to receive a Masters from San Jose State University. In 1939 Marie married her first husband. Arthur Leon Johnson Jr.,M.D. and had two children, April and Arthur. In 1953 the family moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where her husband was stationed in the Air Force. A year later the family moved to San Jose, CA.
Marie was an accomplished visual artist and teacher. She held her first art show in Alaska, and exhibited extensively throughout her career. Also she was the first Black teacher in San Jose. She is known for colorful paintings, assemblages, and installations, including "Hope St" at the Oakland Museum, and "Mama's Room" at the Morgan State Museum In Baltimore, MD. In 1979 Marie married her second husband, Charles Calloway, M.D. They enjoyed golf and traveling together. Marie has blessed her family and community with a legacy of artistic expression and a passion for teaching. She is predeceased by her beloved husband Charles. She is survived by her daughter, son, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and stepchildren.


View the online memorial for Marie Johnson Calloway