Obituary of Mrs. Barbara Johnson

It is with sadness, but also with appreciation for a life well lived, that we have said our goodbyes to our dearly-loved mother and grandmother.  Barbara Jeanne Cromar Johnson passed away on Friday, February 21st, 2025 in her 92nd year.

Mom was predeceased by Murray, her husband of more than 60 years.  She was a loving mother to Lesley Montgomery (Grant), Heather Burrow and Ken Johnson;  and a dear Grandma to Braden Montgomery, Claire Montgomery, Emerson Burrow and Logan Burrow.  Barb was also cherished by many family members within our large extended group of relatives.  And she was a valued friend to so many.  Barb will be greatly missed by all of us.

Barbara grew up on a farm near Georgetown, Ontario in the 1930s and 1940s as an only child - but not lonely as she had beloved parents, animals, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends to keep her company.  She often spoke of her early years on the family farm and her wonderful memories.

As a young lady, Barb moved to Toronto, completed her teaching degree, her primary specialist qualification and then taught for the city of Toronto and North York.  She spent many years teaching young children in Kindergarten, Grade 1 and in music classes, all of which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Barb met Murray, who was originally from Toronto, in the early 1950s, they married in 1956 and a few years later began raising their family in North York and Scarborough.  As a couple, the Johnsons were very fond of attending dramatic and musical theatre events and eventually they performed themselves on neighbourhood stages, most often with the Wishing Well Players theatre group  ... an activity that Barb continued into her 80’s, much to the delight of audiences.

Barbara had an extensive knowledge of her family genealogy and history.  She was always very excited when she found out new information and especially if she was able to meet and form connections with new found relatives from afar.  Barb and Murray travelled all through Canada and in parts of Britain, Ireland and Europe with family members and friends.  Two places that enticed them back time and again were Prince Edward Island, where they went on their honeymoon and Scotland, where Barb would connect with her family ancestral roots.

A Celebration of Barbara’s Life will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at the Ogden Funeral Home in Scarborough, Ontario.  The visitation will be between 2 – 3pm, followed by a memorial service in the chapel and a reception. 

In memory of Mom, please consider making a donation to one of the following: Parkwoods United Church, where she was a recent member or, because of Barb’s great fondness for cats, to Fixed Fur Life, a superb cat rescue organization.
(Both donation links are below).

Parkwoods United Church donation -

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/parkwoods-united-church/ 

Fixed Fur Life donation -  

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/7032 

For those of you who are not able to attend in person, the memorial service will be live-streamed and available on the Ogden website.