Olive Althea “Happy” Eccleston Johnson, 92, of Mystic died peacefully Tuesday morning July 13, 2021 at Pendleton Rehab in Mystic. Althea was born March 22, 1929 in New London Connecticut to Luther Eccleston and Olive Geer. She married Earnest Johnson, he preceded her in death in 2004.
She attended Saltonstall School, Jennings School and Williams Memorial Institute in New London.
Althea was the first African-American woman to graduate from the registered nurse program at Joseph Lawrence School of Nursing at the Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, a member of the Class of ’52.
She worked in the hospital and operating room for two years before leaving to marry and raise four sons. She enjoyed singing in the church choir and being a cub scout den mother.
She returned to nursing in 1971 and worked for Mystic Manor and Groton Regency, where she retired in 1994 as assistant director. In retirement, she enjoyed family gatherings, lunching with friends, reading, doing word puzzle books and jigsaw puzzles, watching westerns on television, and babysitting her grandchildren.
Besides her husband Earnest, Althea was pre-deceased by sisters Emeline Eccleston and Carol Davis, and brothers Luther Reginald Eccleston and Alan Charles Eccleston.
Althea is survived by four sons: Eugene Johnson, Joel Johnson (Deborah), Donzel Johnson (Sue) and Jonathan Johnson. She is also survived by her grandchildren Olivia and Lily Johnson; Dana, Saschia, Victoria and Alysha Johnson; Jordan, Gabriel and Jocelyn Johnson; great grandchildren Nova, Ezequiel, Juda, Gabriel and Sala, her niece Odera Taylor, who was like a daughter to her, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to give their sincere thanks and gratitude to the wonderful and caring staff at Pendleton Health and Rehabilitation Center and Beacon Hospice.
A Visitation will be held from 10:00am to 11:00am with a Funeral Service beginning at 11:00am Wednesday July 21, 2021 at the Byles Memorial Home, 99 Huntington Street, New London. Interment will follow at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic CT.
Donations can be made in Althea’s memory to the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund, PO Box 1308, New London CT 06320.
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