Elizabeth Kelley Johnson, Former McLean Resident

MCLEAN, VA—Elizabeth Kelley Johnson, who formerly lived in McLean, died on Oct. 20. She was 69.

Liz was born in 1948 in Louisville, Ky. as second oldest of six children. She grew up in Lake Forest, Ill., attended Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn. and graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Mass.

She married Collister Johnson, Jr. in 1971. In 1973, she earned a masters degree in landscape architecture at the University of Virginia. The following year, she moved to McLean and ran her own landscape design and architecture firm while raising two children.

In 2009, she divorced her husband and moved to Darien, Conn. to be close to her sister Susan and nephew Frank. Liz continued to pursue her passion for landscape, art, and volunteerism.

Known by many as “Liz J,” she was a fierce competitor. She won golf club championships at both the Chevy Chase Club in Bethesda, Md. and the Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton, R.I. Her playing partners often remarked on her uncanny ability to spot four-leaf clovers from the tee-box, a byproduct of her extraordinary green thumb.

Liz enjoyed spending summers with family and friends in Little Compton, R.I. for over 30 years. Aside from perfecting her golf game, she enjoyed spending her days with friends and walking “the Loop." She traveled extensively and was fond of trips to Europe where she could indulge her passion for art history. She worked as a volunteer on George W. Bush’s two presidential campaigns. In the last few years, she discovered a gift for watercolor painting, taking classes at the Darien Arts Center.

Liz always had a love for pets and animals. Frequent walks with her beloved dogs Woodstock, Stocky, Token, LC, Roger and Dodger expanded into volunteering with therapy dogs and taking strays under her wing.

Most of all, Liz was known for her devotion and loyalty to family, in particular to her children, Kelley Johnson Boyd and Collister (Coddy) Ward Johnson, and then to her grandchildren, Brooks and Chase Boyd and Savannah, Lane, Wade, and August Johnson, whom she loved deeply. Visitors to her home would remark on the extensive number of family photos she had on display and her special gift for connecting with her grandkids.

She is survived by her two children, her five siblings Mary Kelley, Pam Kelley Love, Susan Kelley, Jay Kelley and Wick Kelley, her six grandchildren, and her ten nieces and nephews.

A memorial service celebrating Liz’s life will be held in early July 2018 in Little Compton, R.I. Details will be shared with friends and loved ones later this year. Online condolences may be shared on her Facebook profile. Memorial gifts can be made in her memory to the animal shelter she cherished: North Shore Animal League, 16 Lewyt Street Port Washington, NY 11050.

Image courtesy Edward Lawrence Funeral Home