Elizabeth Shewmake Johannessen

1932 - 2025

Elizabeth Shewmake Johannessen

October 15, 1932 - March 18, 2025

Elizabeth Langhorne Shewmake (Woodroof) Johannessen, 92, died on March 18, 2025 at her home at Westminster Canterbury Richmond. Born in Richmond, Betty was the daughter of the Hon. Oscar Lane Shewmake and Rita Beamer Shewmake. As a child, she loved summers at Camp Okahahawis in Rockbridge County, Va. From the time she was young, her artistic talents were notable, and she enjoyed painting and drawing her whole life. She attended The Collegiate School for Girls, graduated from Stuart Hall in Staunton, and earned a degree in art history from Holton Arms in Washington, DC. Returning to Richmond, she drafted circuits at the phone company ("dreadful"), taught art at Tuckahoe Nursery School ("Mrs. Wallerstein's") and volunteered with the Junior League, Sheltering Arms Hospital and Historic Richmond Foundation. For 50 years, Betty was a member of The Council at VMFA where she gave tours to hundreds of school groups (Children, where is the Nile River? A little girl's answer: In Petersburg!) and visitors. At St. Mary's Episcopal Church, she served on the vestry and altar guild and was a proud graduate of Education for Ministry (EFM). Having worked as a Richmond tour guide, Betty was hired by Ethyl Corporation to show the city to employees transferring to Richmond. She retired from Ethyl after 19 years and enjoyed being a full-time grandmother whose energy and creative ideas were boundless. Time spent on the Chesapeake Bay, painting with friends and filling orders for her hand-painted furniture and walls were her passions. Many Richmonders treasure items she painted with her signature freehand style. Betty had a friendly and fun loving spirit, liked to try new things (The Magic Pan!), loved to ice skate ("Call me Peggy Fleming!"), played tennis until she was 80 and spent untold happy hours hunting for arrowheads on the Yeocomico River. She was married to the late Robert Lloyd Johannessen and is survived by her daughter Elizabeth Woodroof Cogar and son William (Woody) Woodroof, Jr.; grandchildren James Cogar and Liza Cogar (Chris Brown); great-grandson Simon Brown; stepchildren Bob Johannessen (Kelly) and children Rob and Anna; Bill Johannessen (Alison) and children Will and Nick; Betsy Johannessen McMahan (Scott) and children Michael and Catherine. Her family would like to thank the exceptional memory care staff, especially Deborah Clarke and Linda Archie, at Westminster Canterbury Richmond. To help children have the summer camp experience she loved, donations may be made to the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond by going to tcfrichmond.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list and searching for Camp Okahahwis Scholarship Fund or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 49044, Baltimore, Md. 21297-9044.

A service will be held for Betty on Monday, March 24, 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 12291 River Rd., 23238.