Lois Johnson

Lois Johnson was a song.

A melody that lived in the hearts of all who knew her. A voice that filled empty rooms with warmth and grace. A harmony of strength, compassion, laughter, and unwavering love.

Born on May 7th, 1942, in Mansfield, Illinois, to Stella and Avery Wheeler, Lois was one of ten children—a middle note in a chorus of siblings. From an early age, her gift for music was undeniable. She sang in the choir and played the flute throughout her school years, graduating from Shawnee High School in 1960. Her love of music never faded. Even in her final days, music remained her faithful companion—every Sunday she could be found singing in the church choir, her voice as steady and comforting as a hymn.

Lois met the love of her life, Frank Johnson, at a bowling alley in Dayton, Ohio. They married on February 11, 1965, just before Frank deployed to Vietnam. From the moment Lois and Frank met their lives were intertwined like the notes of a duet that only grew more beautiful with time. What followed was a love story that spanned six decades, five states, two children, seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and the kind of devotion most only dream about. Together they moved across the country—Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Florida—but “home” was never a physical location where a house was for them, Home was wherever they were together.

Lois's life was filled with both humble routine and quiet heroism. She worked at R.H. Donnelley and Yellow Pages, eventually with her and Frank co-owning MDS, a phone book company. Her grandchildren fondly remember visiting her office, where they were introduced not just as visitors—but as stars. Lois embraced them in her world, and she showed them off with pride, making them feel like they truly belonged anywhere she went with them.

She was only 5’1”, but she carried the heart of a giant—fifteen feet tall in kindness, in strength, in generosity. Her laugh was the soundtrack to family dinners, and her singing made ordinary days feel like celebrations. She loved golf, playing cards, and cutting up watermelon in the summers. She made popcorn for snacks and taught every grandchild how to float in the water, as if she was handing them magic.

She cooked with care—meatloaf, lasagna, crab cakes, mashed potatoes, chili, soups—and always, always made sure there was ice cream after dinner. “Ice cream is healthy for you”, she’d smile and say, and who could argue with her?

But Lois’s greatest accomplishment was never something she owned or achieved—it was how she lived. It was the way she welcomed you, whether family or stranger. It was how she was always there for her children encouraging them as they grew up, it was how she sat through silly grandkid plays with the admiration of a Broadway audience. It was how she knew when to offer advice and when to simply hold your hand. It was in the little notes she sang while folding laundry, the smiles she gave in the grocery store aisle, the way she showed up—completely, unapologetically, lovingly—for the people in her life.

Lois left this world as gracefully as she lived in it, she was carried home in a blanket of love surrounded by the very people she poured her life into. Her husband of 60 years never letting go of her hand, her children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, and siblings—each one holding onto her and her stories, her love woven into their very being. Her final hours were filled with tears, sharing memories, laughter, music, and light—a testament to the life she built and the people she raised.

It was the most beautiful goodbye—one that echoed the beauty of her every day on this earth. Her family was with her at the end, because she had always, always been there for them.

She wore many hats—wife, mother, career woman, grandmother, sister, friend—and she wore them all with elegance and heart.

Lois is survived by:

Her beloved and devoted husband, Frank Johnson

Her children, Nicole Knapp-Kerper (spouse Edward Kerper, Jr) and Frank Johnson II (spouse Kimberly Smith).

Her treasured grandchildren, Heather Knapp, Kelly Knapp, Ashlynn Johnson, Frankie Johnson, Eddie Kerper, Jennifer Hurst & James Hurst.

Her cherished great-grandchildren, Joey Lewandowski and Samuel Berman Jr.

Her loving sisters, Michelle Snyder, and Shirleen Philpot.

She joins in Heaven her parents, Stella and Avery Wheeler,

Her siblings, including Gary Wheeler, Mary Moberly, Avery Jordan, Roy Wheeler, Marlene Scott and Jerry Wheeler whose voices now join her in a heavenly choir.

A viewing will be held on Monday, July 21st, 2025, from 6–8 PM at Faupel Funeral Home, 7524 Ridge Rd, New Port Richey, FL.

Services will follow on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025, at 10 AM at First Baptist Church Hudson, 13343 Fivay Rd, Hudson, FL.

Burial will follow at Bushnell Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Marliere Hospice House, whose compassionate care brought peace and dignity to Lois’s final days, and comfort to her family during the most sacred moments of goodbye.

If you wish to honor Lois, cook a comfort meal, gather your loved ones for a card game, laugh too loud, sing without reason, eat the popcorn, eat the ice cream, and be present. That’s how Lois lived. That’s how she loved.

And if you feel called, educate just one person in your life about the reality of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. These illnesses affect not only the individual but every hand that holds theirs. Visit https://www.dementiasociety.org to learn how you can help advocate, support, and care for those navigating the path Lois and her family walked with such grace.

Let Lois’s life be a reminder that it’s not the years that measure a legacy—it’s the love, laughter, the lives we touch, the songs we sing, and the family we cherish.

Lois Johnson was a song—and now, she is a symphony.

Forever in our hearts. Forever singing in Heaven.