Rachel Louisa Johnson

Rachel Louisa Johnson

October 19, 1925 – February 15, 2026

Rachel Johnson passed away peacefully in Hospice Care at St. Catherine's Village in Madison, MS, on February 15, 2026. She was 100 years old.

Rachel was born in London, England on October 19, 1925, the second child and first daughter of Mary Ann O'Connell Day and Joseph Day. The family owned and operated a neighborhood restaurant at 4 East Smithfield, within a block of the Tower of London in London's then rough-and-tumble East End. They lived in an apartment above the restaurant until the house was damaged during the Blitz of London in World War II. She was an excellent student and a competitive swimmer, capturing a City of London age-group championship in her early teens. After completing secondary education, she trained in business and medical records administration at the University of London. Her first job after graduation was at the University of London Hospital.

In July 1945 Rachel met Walter Albert (Dusty) Rhodes, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne. They married in London in 1946, and in 1947 Rachel immigrated to the United States, settling with Dusty first in Los Angeles CA and then Portland OR. In 1948 Rachel gave birth to twins, Stephen (Steve) Irvin Rhodes and Caroline (Carrie) Mary Rhodes in Portland. Rachel became a U.S. citizen in 1954.

Shortly after the twins were born, Walter and Rachel's marriage began to deteriorate, ultimately leading to divorce. Rachel persevered single-handedly. She was an exceptionally gifted writer and administrator and was able to successfully support her family with bookkeeping, office manager and executive secretary jobs wherever she was.

In 1959 Rachel met the love of her life, Billy Wayne (Bill) Johnson in Galveston TX where she was a senior administrator in the Department of Internal Medicine of John Sealy Hospital. Their relationship was characterized by mutual respect, admiration and love from the start. When Bill, an industrial chemist who specialized in starting up new manufacturing facilities, was hired to start up the Fiber Industries polyester plant in Shelby, NC, Rachel moved to NC to join him and begin their life together. They were married in the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Shelby, NC in June1960 and Bill immediately adopted Steve and Carrie as his own. In 1961 Bill and Rachel had a child together, Wendy Rachel Johnson.

After their marriage, Rachel devoted herself to raising the family as they moved with Bill's work from Shelby, NC, to Winston-Salem, NC, to Bruceton, TN, to Gulfport, MS. Bill retired from DuPont and Rachel retired from Gulfport Memorial Hospital in 1993. They built their retirement home just off the 18th tee of Windance Golf Course in Gulfport MS, living there until Bill died in 2016. In September 2016 Rachel moved to St. Catherine's Village.

Rachel was one of the most interesting, talented, accomplished and fundamentally good people ever. She was a brilliant life-long learner, and ALWAYS busy. Her skills included being a tailor and seamstress, making many of the children's clothes during the lean years. She had a "green thumb" and made her roses, hydrangeas, figs, and vegetables thrive wherever she planted. She enjoyed playing the piano and playing bridge and she was a voracious reader. She bought her first PC at the age of 72 to keep the family records electronically and used it to compile her memoirs (especially her stories of wartime London) into a family legacy "Short Stories of Long Life." She loved art, and in her retirement years was able to devote time to that passion, painting dozens of beautiful oil and watercolor landscapes that are family treasures.

In addition to her many talents, Rachel's most outstanding quality was her strength of character. She was a brave and cheerful stoic, able to face down challenges without flinching or complaining. She was a devout Christian. Her strict code of ethics and integrity, coupled with her kindness and determination to succeed and "just do the right thing," enabled her to overcome incredible adversity to support and raise a healthy family, first single-handedly and then as a teammate after she was blessed with Bill. After marrying Bill, she turned her gifts to making the world a better place for everyone in her life – as a wife, parent, friend, neighbor, and volunteer.

Rachel is survived by her sister, Christina Day Chapman of Rochford, Essex, England; two of her three children: Rear Admiral Stephen I. Johnson (USN, ret.) (Melissa) of Spartanburg SC, and Wendy Rachel Johnson of Madison MS; two Grandchildren: the Reverend Brian W. Johnson (Kim) of Williamsburg VA and Sherilyn R. Morrison (Tyler) of Charlotte NC; and four great-grandchildren: Jeremiah and Ezekiel Johnson and Harris and Rosie Morrison. Rachel was predeceased by her parents, older brother Joseph, her husband, Bill, in 2016, and her daughter, Carrie, in 2012.

A memorial service will be planned at a later date.

The family thanks the skilled caregivers and friends at St. Catherine's Village for their wonderful care of "Mamaw," especially in her time in skilled nursing. You guys are the best.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to The Salvation Army mission nearest you or to a charity of your choice.