Olive Althea "Happy" Johnson

1929 - 2021

Mystic - Olive Althea "Happy" Eccleston Johnson, 92, of Mystic, died July 13, 2021, at Pendleton Health and Rehabilitation Center, Mystic. Althea was born March 22, 1929, in New London, to Luther Eccleston and Olive Geer. She married Earnest Johnson; he preceded her in death in 2004.

Althea was the first African-American to graduate (1952), from the registered nurse program at Joseph Lawrence School of Nursing at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, New London. She worked in the hospital before leaving to marry and raise four sons. She returned to nursing (1971), working for Mystic Manor and Groton Regency, retiring as assistant director (1994).

Althea is survived by sons: Eugene Johnson, Joel Johnson (Deborah), Donzel Johnson (Sue) and Jonathan Johnson; nine grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.

A Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. with a funeral service beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday July 21, at the Byles Memorial Home, 99 Huntington Street, New London. Interment will follow at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic.

Donations can be made in Althea's memory to the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund, PO Box 1308, New London CT 06320. Please visit www.byles.com for more information and to sign the online register or to share a memory.