Sarah Louise Johnson

Sarah Louise (Turnbull) Johnson
(February 1, 1932- December 18, 2023)

Sarah Louise Johnson, known for her unfailing kindness and generosity, died peacefully at her Spring Valley home on Monday, December 18, 2023 surrounded by her children and their spouses. She was 91 years old. Her body was laid to rest at Spring Valley Cemetary on December 27. A memorial service for Sarah will be held at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3737 Liberty Road South, in Salem on Saturday, January 6 at 3:00 pm.
Sarah was born on February 1, 1932 to Mary Lou and George S. Turnbull in Eugene, Oregon. Her father, born in Newcastle, England was one of the founding professors of the University of Oregon School of Journalism, later dean there and was a renowned chronicler of Oregon journalism. Her mother, Mary Lou Burton, was born in Mulhall, OK, and was the family’s business and property manager. Sarah and her older brother George S. Turnbull Jr. (Stan) were raised in Eugene under fortunate circumstances during the Depression.
Sarah spent her senior year in Palo Alto, CA, graduating high school there, but returned to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Romance Languages (Spanish) in 1953. She was an active member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. While in California in high school, Sarah began a brief career as a fashion model, which she continued through college.
At a New Year’s Eve party in Albany, Oregon, Sarah met her future husband Kenneth Everett Johnson who was a sports writer there. They fell in love and were wed on June 26, 1953, just after her university graduation. First following Ken to his recent job as sports editor in his hometown of Coos Bay, Oregon, the newlyweds moved back to Eugene, where Ken finished his journalism degree at the U of O and Sarah worked in the University’s registrar’s office. She gave birth to their son, Chuck, in Coos Bay, in 1955, after Ken was hired as managing editor there.
Ken found work in Governor Holmes’ administration in 1957, so the young family moved to Salem, where their son, Bruce was born. The Johnsons stayed in Salem area, buying their first home on Shamrock Drive in the Morningside district, where their daughter, Nancy, was born in 1964, then in 1965 they had a four-bedroom home built among an acre of trees in Spring Valley, west of Salem. They lived there through Ken’s death on April 1, 2011 and Sarah continued to enjoy living in this lovely house, perched among the trees, with son Bruce until her death.
In her early days in Salem, Sarah was active in civic affairs as one of the original founders of the Gallery Guides volunteer organization as part of the establishment of the Bush Barn Art Center, and an as officer in the Democratic Party’s Jane Jefferson Club, women’s auxilliary organization (when such organizations were the norm). Sarah also worked in the typing pool in the 1959, 1961, and 1963 Oregon State Legislative Sessions. She remained active in Democratic Party politics for the rest of her life – including key roles in the successful Bob Straub governor race in 1974, Neil Goldschmidt governor race in 1986, and even as late as 2008, she and her friend Norma Slover were nightly phone volunteers in the Obama for president campaign.
Following a trip together to London and Paris in 1969, Ken and Sarah resolved to cash their savings and give their family the experience of living for a year overseas (1972-73), first touring Scotland, Wales, and Ireland in their VW camper, then renting a house in London. They put 11,000 miles on their camper that year.
After this bold year abroad, in 1973, Sarah began her work career in earnest, first working as deputy director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Family Headstart program, where she served for 13 years. In 1987, Sarah joined the Goldschmidt administration as Oregon’s Assistant Citizens Representative, and two years later became Citizens Representative, where she continued to serve under Governor Roberts until she retired at the beginning of 1995. Sarah was a beloved colleague and boss, and an inspiration and role model to the many people she worked with.
In retirement, Sarah and Ken had time to travel together to Spain, Israel, Greece, and back to Great Britain. Sarah pursued her childhood passion of horseback riding, beginning with lessons in dressage and show jumping before she retired and continuing afterwards – owning a series of horses she lovingly tended to until she felt she could no longer do so at age 82.
Though they no longer climbed peaks, as they had in middle years – Sarah had summited St. Helens (before its eruption), Hood, and Middle and South Sisters several times – Sarah and Ken continued to enjoy adventures with a group of Salem friends calling themselves “the middle-aged marauders” who had frequent hiking, packing, and kayaking adventures in the summer months throughout the Northwest.
In addition to regularly practicing tai chi and Feldenkreis, Sarah kept in constant motion during retirement, regularly worshiping at Westminister Presbyterian Church where she served as a deacon and was an active member of the “Just for Fun” singers until the COVID pandemic. Her many acknowledged and unacknowledged acts of volunteerism included teaching reading to first and second graders in Salem schools along with Ken, and regularly reading to friends who had become disabled and unable to do so themselves.
In her later years, as Sarah lost her own abilities for independent activity and her speaking ability began to fail, she never became negative. Her kindness, gentle smile, quick laugh, and genial presence remained with her until her final days and remain a blessing to all of us who remember her and have felt her love.
In addition to her brother, Stan Turnbull of Los Altos, CA, Sarah Johnson is survived by son Bruce of Salem, daughter Nancy Lamont (and husband Dan) of Seattle, son Chuck (and partner Rebecca Robinson) of Geneva, Switzerland, along with grandchildren Mackintosh Rieder-Johnson of Tacoma, and Kayla Feingold and Trevor Erickson of Seattle.
Remembrance gifts in Sarah’s name can be given to the Marion-Polk Food Share, Willamette Vital Health, and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Salem.