CORRINE A. JOHNSON Mueller's Tri-Cities Funeral Home Corrine Johnson of Kennewick died peacefully on July 4, 2017. She was 91 years young. Corrine is survived by her children and their spouses, Patti (Robert) Paz of Lake Stevens, WA, Jerry (Betty) Johnson of Kennewick, and Mike (Jill) Johnson of Silver-thorne, CO; her five grandchildren, Jessica (Randy) Carnahan of Sedro Woolley, WA, Randy (Dawn) Johnson of Kenne-wick, Erika (Keith) Klauss of Cheney, WA, Korae Rutledge of Marysville, WA, and Kyle Johnson of Silverthorne, CO; and twelve great-grand-children. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 69 years, Roy Johnson, her parents, Frank and Marie Rohde of Chicago, IL, and her sister, Lorraine Dionne of Chicago. Corrine was born on March 31, 1926 in Chicago. She attended Alvernia High School in Chicago where she excelled in art. She was offered admission to the prestigious School of The Art Institute of Chicago, but instead had to work to help her family as they struggled out of the Great Depression. In those austere years and through World War II, Corrine worked for the Milwaukie Railroad helping to track railcars. In the evenings, she enjoyed riding the Chicago streetcars to window-shop with her mother, going to the picture show, and dancing with the sailors at the Aragon Ballroom. It was there that she met her future husband, Roy, on April 13, 1946. They were married on September 13, 1946, sealing thirteen as the family lucky number. As Roy advanced his career as a printer, they moved to Omaha, NE, back to Chicago, then on to Tacoma, Bellevue, and Mill Creek, WA. After retiring, they split time between their home in Mill Creek, boating in the San Juan Islands, and enjoying the desert life in Tucson, AZ where they settled full time in 1993. They moved to Kennewick in 2011 to be closer to family. Although she never was able to return to school to study, arts and crafts remained a life-long passion. She drew, painted, sculpted, did various forms of needlepoint, and was a gifted home decorator. She was particularly fond of early American style, born out of a honeymoon trip to Williamsburg, VA, and her home was tastefully decorated in colonial furniture, paintings, and knick-knacks. Corrine's greatest legacy is as a loving wife, mother, and homemaker. She truly was the "woman behind the man" in Roy's successful career in the printing industry, and passed on her strong Midwest and Catholic values to her three children. She was a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader, a rabid fan of her boys' sports (and of the Seattle Seahawks), and a church and hospital volunteer. Corrine loved all children, not just her own. She was never happier than when her grandchildren and great grandchildren came to visit, and she never left a restaurant without stopping to admire every baby on the path to the exit. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday July 8, 2017, 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Kennewick, with a reception to follow. Corrine requests no flowers and that any contributions be made to the donor's favorite charity. The family invites you to sign their online tribute wall at www.muellersfuneral homes.com
Religious Service Information
St Joseph's Catholic Church
520 S Garfield St
Kennewick, WA 99336
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Published in Tri-City Herald on July 7, 2017