Marilyn F. Johnson, a longtime Montclair resident who was a 29-year volunteer with the Red Cross and a big-time supporter of the Montclair High School girls soccer team, died on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, after a long illness. She was 92.
Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Bill and Jewel Fretwell and was born in 1931 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
She attended the University of Tennessee, where the young cheerleader met her future husband, the late Bill Johnson, whom she married in 1953.
The young couple soon moved to Montclair, where they raised seven children and welcomed 10 grandkids who filled their home for countless get-togethers and celebrations across the decades. Mrs. Johnson was always front-and-center for every event with a bright smile, a home-cooked meal and her enduring Southern accent.
She became known to the grandchildren as “Maro,” an enduring nickname bestowed by her first grandchild.
Mrs. Johnson was a die-hard supporter of the Montclair High School girls soccer team, coached by her son, Christopher.
She volunteered with the Red Cross for 29 years. And she partnered with her husband to revitalize his Delsaco salads company, with a coleslaw named in her honor.
In addition to her children and grandchildren, Mrs. Johnson is survived by her brother, Bob Fretwell, of Knoxville.
Visitation is Monday, Feb. 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Hugh M. Moriarty Funeral Home, 76 Park St. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Cassian Church, 187 Bellevue Ave.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the York Street Project, 89 York St., Jersey City, NJ 07302, 201-451-9838, ysp@yorkstreetproject.org.