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Gwendolyn Johnson Obituary
Born in Torrance, California on December 23, 1927, Gwendolyn graduated from Redondo Union High School and attended El Camino College. After college she worked in aerospace at Garrett AiResearch and was a Bullocks Wilshire runway model. Gwendolyn was a life-long Christian Scientist, receiving Christian Science class instruction by Madora Holt of Beverly Hills. She was a founding member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Palos Verdes.
For decades Gwendolyn was a well respected artist working in oils, watercolor, and handcrafted jewelry. She was active in the American Arts Council at the Los Angeles Museum of Art (LACMA) and in the Palos Verdes Art Center. Her art was displayed in many local shows, including Malaga Cove.
Gwendolyn was a dedicated member of the Palos Verdes community. She was a member of the National Charity League, Palos Verdes Estates, and a legacy member of PEO, an international philanthropic educational organization for women. She was involved with Civic Light Opera of the South Bay and was a regular patron of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Gwendolyn was preceded in death by her parents John Ronald Fraley and Ladessa Arvilla Fraley (Bailey), husband Frank James Johnson, III, sisters Jacqueline Williams (Fraley) and Betty Yarnell (Fraley) and niece Cheryl Williams. She is survived by her daughters and son-in-laws: Robin Geissler (Bacon) and Robert Nation III and Juliet Carriker (Johnson) and David Carriker, her two granddaughters, Lauren Geissler Giometti and Jenna Rose Carriker, and her two great grandchildren, Jack and Georgia Giometti, as well as her niece Ellen Condie and nephew Robert Yarnell, as well as several grand nieces and nephews.
Gwendolyn will be remembered for her creative spirit, her deep spirituality, her beauty inside and out, and her love for her family.
A small private family service will be held to honor Gwendolyn's life. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to be made to Christian Science Mother Church in Boston or the Palos Verdes Art Center.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Gwendolyn Johnson
5 Entries
Xochitl Cruz
July 25, 2025
Facebook Friend, Our Mothers taught us to be Beacons of Light in our careers, in our centers of Faith and to our Loved Ones.
Always feel , know how special you are to her and HOW GRATEFUL she is to be your, Mother.
Life is a VALUABLE gift and she must be overjoyed to know she raised such a VALUABLE asset to our world.
HUGS , as you celebrate the woman she was to all ,on Gods´ earth and the woman she will ALWAYS remain, in your heart.
The next time you walk on the beach , look and sigh at those footprints in the sand...
Let them be a symbol that your mother left to receive a PERFECT set a wings but stayed to occupy a PERFECT space in your heart
Lisa O Bottom
July 25, 2025
My deepest condolences go to all Gwen's family. I have so many lovely memories of her from my childhood, right up to my high school years. I have Gwen to thank for my treasured friendship with her daughter, Robin Bacon Geissler. May her memory live on in the hearts of all who knew her and loved her. She will forever live in my memory as "Glamourous Gwen", which is how I always thought of her.
Robin Barben
July 25, 2025
I worked at the nursing home where Gwen stayed in her 90's. She was sharp as a tac and quick to recognize good in others. We had so many deep discussions about spirituality and she was razor sharp in her ability to take in new ideas. I would have loved to have had her as a friend when I was younger but I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to keep up with her. I feel like we will always be soul sisters because of the warmth, caring, and ideas we shared. She was very intelligent, very fun, and someone I will remember always.
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Ellen Yarnell Condie
July 25, 2025
Gwen was my mother´s sister, my dear aunt, but she and her twin sister Jacque were more like my older sisters. They were a big part of my childhood and I miss them both. The legacy of those three "Fraley Girls", Gwen and Jacque and Betty, lives on in all of us.
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