MayNell Johnson

MayNell Johnson, 80, a longtime resident of Odessa and Ruidoso, N.M., passed away Feb. 8, 2017, in Arlington, Texas, where she has lived since 2012, after a short illness related to pneumonia and late-stage Alzheimer's. She will be remembered for her enjoyment of small adventures and wide-ranging travels in the U.S., as well as her love for her family, friends, dogs, dominoes, and nature.

She was born in Alpine, Texas, on Dec. 20, 1936, to Gladys Vest Johnson and Murphy Roscoe Johnson, and lived in West Texas most of her life. As a teenager and young adult, she served as a counselor at Camp Mitre Peak (Girl Scouts) near Fort Davis. After attending school in Monahans, she graduated from Odessa High School in 1955, and attended Texas Woman's University and Sul Ross State University before embarking on a teaching career. She coached and taught physical education and English in several school districts, including El Paso and Denver City, Texas. She attended First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Odessa and First Christian Church Ruidoso.

She is survived by her brother, Jimmy C. Johnson and his wife, Rosalyn, of Arlington; her niece, Jacque Johnson Lambiase and her husband, Tom, of Arlington; her nephew, Jim Johnson and his wife, Darlene Marks, of Fort Worth; two great-nieces, Tacy and Emma Lambiase; and many faithful friends and extended family members. Special thanks to her cousin Sam Vest and his family for their kindness to her, and to the caring staff at Brookdale Pecan Park Assisted Living in Arlington, where she lived for 14 months. Memorial donations may be made to Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest-Camp Mitre Peak, 800-895-7390; or to the Holman House Museum, Ward County (Texas) Historical Commission, Ellen Friar, 432-943-2921. A remembrance gathering will be held in Odessa in April, with a private burial in Alpine.

Arrangements under the direction of NEPTUNE SOCIETY - Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX.