Mary Jane Johnson

Mary Jane Johnson, age 84, died on March 3 in Michigan. From 1976 to 1988, she was a secretary in the offices of both the Dean of the College and the President. She then became the secretary to the President until her retirement in 1997. During her 21 years at Carleton, she served with three academic deans (Sheridan, Stanley, and Elveton) and three presidents (Edwards, Porter, and Lewis). Mary Jane’s colleagues described her as a hard worker, a caring person, and a loyal friend with unfailing warmth and good humor. 

In a 1997 retirement tribute, President Steve Lewis listed Mary Jane’s many roles in his office, some of which included: “Chief Quality Controller of Correspondence, Defender of Good Usage, Speller Extraordinaire, Protector of the English Language, and Auditor of Presidential Travel Budgets.” Mary Jane’s many skills and wealth of knowledge were sorely missed after her retirement, but she was able to return to northern Michigan where she and her husband restored her childhood home, planted a wildflower garden, and visited their grandchildren. 

A more complete obituary is on the Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home website.