Joanne Johnson Macbeth

Joanne Johnson Macbeth



Joanne Clarke Johnson Macbeth of Chestertown, Maryland died Sunday, November 9, 2008, at William Hill Manor, a skilled nursing facility in Easton, Maryland. She was 80.

A leap year baby, Mrs. Macbeth was born on February 29, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of the late Robert C. P. Johnson and Jessica M. Johnson. She attended schools in Manassas, Virginia, where she graduated with honors and went on to study at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. There she met her future husband, William "Bill" Macbeth and they were married on November 13, 1948 in Manassas, Virginia.

With an excellent civil service exam rating, Mrs. Macbeth was employed by first the United States Department of Education and later the Selective Service in governmental offices located in Washington, D.C. and Chestertown, Maryland, respectively.

Relative to her secretarial skills and her love for learning, Mrs. Macbeth served the college and local community in a part time position working with the ordering and archiving of sources in the Washington College library. She and her husband Mr. Macbeth also supported the college as members of the 1782 Society.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Macbeth enjoyed local and regional fine arts presentations. As a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown, she sang in their church choir. She and Mr. Macbeth shared many interests, as well: sailing on the river, swimming in the ocean, and gardening on their property in Chestertown. While she loved her home and the Eastern Shore community, Mrs. Macbeth chose to travel both in the United States and abroad. She and her husband traveled to five of the world's continents sampling the diverse cultural experiences internationally.

As Mr. Macbeth died last year, Mrs. Macbeth is survived by a daughter, Barbara Macbeth; a son, Ben Macbeth; two brothers, Robert and Charles Johnson; and three grandsons, Erich, Mitchell, and Clarke.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 in the Manassas City Cemetery with The Very Rev. Stuart Schadt officiating. A reception will follow at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658, The Chester River Association, 100 North Cross St., Suite 1, Chestertown, MD 21620, or the Chester River Health Foundation, 100 Brown St., Chestertown, MD 21620.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Baker - Post Funeral Home and Cremation Center, under the direction of Michael Post. Please sign the guestbook at www.bakerpostfh.com.


This obituary was originally published in the News & Messenger (Woodbridge, VA).