On August 20, 2022, Joan Johnson died at her residence at The Magnolia at Oxford Commons at age 92.
Born Joan Lee Dorsett in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 27, 1929, she was the daughter of Dr. Edward Lee and Romayne Dorsett. She was the widow of Seymour B. Johnson and was a longtime resident of Indianola, Mississippi. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her half-brothers Bob Dorsett and Skip Dorsett. She leaves her daughters Leslee Linn, Lynn Johnson, and Dorsett Johnson as well as her grandchildren Kate, Tory, Emily and William and her great granddaughter Rhiannon.
Joan attended Webster Groves High School and Iowa State University where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and a home economics major. It was there that she met her husband Seymour; they were married in 1951 until his death in 2016. They shared a love of travel and birdwatching. Joan also enjoyed tennis, gardening, and winning at bridge. Fiercely independent, her petite stature belied her feisty spirit. Final arrangements are still pending. Those wishing to memorialize Mrs. Johnson are encouraged to make donations to Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Mississippi 39211.