Sophia Jardine Johnson

Sophia Jardine Johnson
1927-2023
"I see blue skies! I see blue skies!" This was Phia's positive outlook mantra when the inclement weather was preventing her four adopted children from going outside to play.
Born to Scottish immigrants, Jimmy and Agnes Jardine, Phia was a first generation American. Born in Detroit in 1927, she lived on Minock Avenue in a Scottish neighborhood. She always talked about such fond memories of her childhood, the church, and all her Scottish relatives. Her best friends were her cousins, Betty and Sophia, and her sister, Margaret.
While attending Redford High School, she met Kalin in a radio speech class. She was the 15-year-old broadcaster and Kalin was the engineer on the school PA system. It was love at first sight. City girl meets country boy.
After graduation from high school, both Kalin and Phia attended The University of Michigan. In 1948 Phia graduated with a BS in Math and Science and six months later married Kalin. Phia and Kalin moved into a small house on Kalin's parents' farm in Northville. Phia loved feeding the "barn babies" (cows) and became very adept at driving the tractor with the combine in the fields. Give her a tool and she could figure out how to use it and fix anything. It was the 1940's and city girl became country girl!
For four and a half years, Phia taught 7th and 8th grades in Southfield, Michigan. Her classes were large, at least 45 students, she was young, but managed quite well and years later always had a smile on her face when telling stories about her rambunctious students.
In 1952 she adopted Gretchen and in 1954 Tom was added to the family. Kalin and Phia then built a larger home on the Johnson farm and had their own four acres on the 280-acre farm. In 1961 and 1963, Dan and Amy became part of the Johnson household. Their yard in Northville included a large tree house, swing set, tether ball, a baseball diamond, and a pond perfect for ice skating and fishing. Throughout the years while she was a stay-at-home mom, she also hosted eight exchange students from Mexico City. Children loved her and she loved them.
Along with being a busy mother of four, she was involved with the Northville Women's Club, Northville Mother's Club, and The First Presbyterian Church of Northville. She taught herself how to sew, and all her children wore beautiful hand-made clothes. Along with her children, other Northville girls had prom dresses and wedding dresses made especially by Phia. Curtains and quilts were also part of her repertoire and she enjoyed upholstering furniture.
Kalin and Phia spent every summer in Leland, Michigan, with the children swimming, sailing, waterskiing, and making sandcastles. They also traveled the world and eventually settled on spending a lot of time in Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas.
After Kalin retired, Phia, Kalin, and Agnes (Phia's mother) moved to Northport and built a home on Gills Pier Road. Phia was an avid tennis player at the Traverse City YMCA, swam in Lake Leelanau and Lake Michigan whenever the weather was nice, and read every book she could get her hands on. She volunteered as a library aide at Northport School, was an elementary tutor, and eventually joined the Northport School Board from 1993 – 2002.
Since living in the "Land of Delight", Phia's extended family always came to visit. There were big Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Nieces and nephews made sure they made a trip to northern Michigan yearly to visit Aunt Phia and Uncle Kalin. Phia is survived by Gretchen and Jack Moorlag and their children, Julie, Matt (Lisa), and Lacey; Tom and Karen Johnson; Dan and Priscilla Johnson, and their children Hannah and Emily (Sam); and Amy Peppo. She also had six great grandchildren, Liam, Maggie, Addy, Aynsley, Collin and Lauren. The great grandchildren remember fun times with Great Grandma Phia making cookies, baking bread, and doing art projects.
Phia and Kalin were exceptional people. Both had a wealth of knowledge. Both were kind and considerate. Kalin found a "keeper" when he met Phia. They were married for 75 years. She was 95 and only lasted eleven months after the love of her life passed away. She is now in heaven with Kalin somewhere over the rainbow, out in the blue skies.
Private family services and burial at Leelanau Township Cemetery have been held.
Please share condolences and memories at www.martinson.info.
Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.