Westborough – Susan “Sue” Knight Johnson (née Humphrey), 68, of Westborough, passed away Monday, April 28, 2014 following a two-year battle with lung cancer.
She was born Jan. 3, 1946, in Worcester, to Winifred and Kenneth Humphrey. She graduated from Westborough High School and began working in the medical records section of St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester.
At the age of 19, Sue moved to Los Angeles to work as a medical secretary. There, she reacquainted herself with her future husband Walter “Jay” Johnson, whom she had known in high school and who was working for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Sue and Jay were married June 21, 1969 in Westborough.
Months after their marriage, Jay began a new career with the Department of State and they moved to Kabul, Afghanistan, where Sue continued her career working for CARE International, a humanitarian non-profit. During their time in the Department of State, Sue and Jay lived in 10 countries on five continents, and Sue held a variety of positions with organizations supporting Americans living overseas.
Upon returning to the United States in 1992, Sue began a career in marketing and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nichols College. She worked for a number of local companies, including Security Engineered Machinery and Device Technologies. She was deeply involved with the community as a volunteer at the Worcester Food Bank and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in the juvenile court system.
Sue is survived by her mother, Winifred Quick of Boca Raton, Fla.; her husband, Walter Johnson of Westborough; her two children, Jason Johnson of Washington, D.C. and Ivy Mitchell of Northborough; and three grandchildren, Ethan Johnson, Camilla Johnson, and Lilly Mitchell. She is also survived by her brother, Kenneth Quick, and her sister, Sally Hutchinson.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours Saturday, May 10, from 2 – 5 p.m., at the Rand-Harper-Pickering Westborough Funeral Home, 62 West Main St, Westborough. Interment will be private.
