Mabel Ellen (Vickers) "Vicki" Johnson

Mabel Ellen (Vickers) "Vicki" Johnson of Kalamazoo, MI and formerly of the Gull Lake Area
Mabel, age 93, died Thursday morning, January 23, 2014 at Rose Arbor Hospice Residence, Kalamazoo, following a brief illness and surrounded by her loving family.
Mabel, the daughter of George W. and Hazel E. (Dawson) Vickers, was born on June 27, 1920 in Gastonville, PA. She was raised in the Finleyville/Pittsburgh area and graduated from South Hills High School in Pittsburgh in 1939. Mabel received her Registered Nursing Degree from Southside Hospital, also in Pittsburgh in 1942. She served her country honorably and nobly as an Ensign in the United States Navy during World War II in the Nursing Corp of the Naval Reserves from 1946 – 1947 and this is where she met Fenimore T. Johnson, MD, who was also serving in the Navy Medical Corp. They married in a naval ceremony on April 6, 1946 at All Saints Protestant Chapel of Jacksonville, FL. They went on to have six children: Fenimore William, Daniel, Christopher, Kathryn Ellen, Jeffrey and Deborah Ann, who were all raised in the Gull Lake area. The family moved to the Gull Lake area from Virginia Beach, VA in 1954.
After raising a family, Mabel resumed her nursing profession working at the Veterans Administration, Battle Creek, MI and at Nazareth College in Kalamazoo. In 1977, she received a BS in Health Studies from Western Michigan University and later, completed the Ob/Gyn Nurse Practitioner Program through Planned Parenthood in Milwaukee, WI. She then worked for the Kalamazoo County Public Health Department until retiring in 1985.
Mabel volunteered for the Red Cross after retirement and liked to participate in fitness programs, such as walking, strengthening/weight lifting, Tai Chi, Yoga, gardening, tennis and golf. She enjoyed singing, playing the piano, listening to music, traveling to such places as Alaska, Scotland, England Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe and many of these trips with her husband before he died on January 1, 1990. Mabel also enjoyed (And got frustrated with!) the computer, Internet and e-mail. She loved photography and is credited with capturing many key family events of her extended family. As a dedicated church member, she attended both the Yorkville Community Church and the Gull Lake United Methodist Church.
Mabel is survived by her two daughters, Kathryn Ellen (Michael) Birke of Ft. Myers, FL and Deborah Ann (David) Norris of Holland, MI; two sons, Fenimore W. "Bill" (Marcia) Johnson of Hickory Corners, MI and Christopher (Janet Misbach) Johnson of Cedar Rapids, IA; nine grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. In addition to being preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Fenimore T. Johnson, she was also preceded in death by her parents and two sons, Daniel and Jeffrey Johnson.
The Memorial Service to celebrate Mabel's life will be held on Wednesday, January 29th at 11:00 a.m. at The Fountains of Bronson Place, 1700 Bronson Way, Kalamazoo, 49009 with Father Joel L. Turmo, Rector of St. Timothy Episcopal Church of Richland, MI, officiating. Military honors will be bestowed by the United States Navy honor Guard along with the Bagpipes being played in her honor. A continuation of Mabel's life celebration will immediately follow the Memorial Service with a time of fellowship and a luncheon at The Fountains. Final interment will be held at a later date next to her beloved husband in Yorkville Cemetery, Ross Township, MI. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mabel's honor may be made to the Rose Arbor Hospice Residence, 5473 Croyden Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49009, or a hospice of your choice. The Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home, Richland Chapel is in charge of all the arrangements.