|
Mary "Anis" Johnson, a resident of Albuquerque for 33 years passed away peacefully February 25, 2010 with her family by her side. Anis is survived by her husband of 53 years; Stewart and their three children Janelle, Greg and Eric; Spouses Jim, Merri and Alicia; grandchildren, Haley, Vanessa, Chris, Nicole and husband Shawn, Chynna, Sienna, Jennifer; great grandchildren, Ethan, Anyssa, and Ian. She is also survived by her brother, Alan Giddings and wife, Sue and her sister Martha Robinson and husband, Larry as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Anis was born in 1933 in Ithaca, New York to Dorothy and Joseph Giddings. She grew up in Brookings, South Dakota where her father was Chair of the English Department at South Dakota State University. After earning her B.S. in English, Anis and Stewart married in 1956 and traveled and lived in many different states and countries while Stewart served in the U S. Air Force. Anis' life reflects her commitment to education. She became a teacher and taught in four states, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and Alabama, as well as overseas in Korea and Japan. She went on to earn a M. Ed. in Secondary Education from the University of Illinois and a M.A. in Adult Education from the University of New Mexico. She continued to promote education and teach in each new community she lived in. Anis had a great love of music that she passed on to her three children. She played piano, organ, guitar, clarinet, and enjoyed playing the church bell choir. She was a dedicated member of the Church of the Good Shepherd Clown Ministry and she served as Christian Education Coordinator for many years. While teaching and raising her own three children, Anis also found time to work with more than 20 organizations and charities, frequently in leadership roles. Her community work encompassed literacy programs, veteran services religious organizations, education committees, neighborhood groups, child welfare, childhood education, women and youth groups. Her writings have been published in several journals. In 2009 Anis was honored with the "Keeping the Dream Alive" award for her years of dedication and hard work service on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Multicultural Council, Inc. Anis' great great grandfather Joshua Reed Giddings, State Representative from Ohio and slave abolitionist was the most influential person in her life demonstrating to her the necessity of (in her words) "standing up and saying that everyone is equal." Anis dedicated her life to helping others through her service as an educator, organizer and advocate of diversity, social justice and equal rights. She is greatly missed by her family and friends. A celebration of her life will be held at Church of the Good Shepherd, 7834 Tennyson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122 on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. followed by a gathering in the Fellowship Hall. Interment will be at a later date at Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM. Memorials can be made to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Council, Inc., P.O. Box 40306, Albuquerque, NM 87196 or Church of the Good Shepherd. Please visit our online guestbook for Anis at RememberTheirStory.com French 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE (505) 275-3500
|
