Bertine (Smith) Johnson
1912-2010
Bertine Johnson (Smith), After a very long and remarkable life, Bertine Smith Johnson, aged 98, passed away on July 3, 2010 in South Kingstown.
Born June 25, 1912, in Warwick RI, she was descended from a long line of Rhode Islanders and Nova Scotians.
Genealogy and colonial history were special interests, and she traced her lineage back to 17th Century England. She was the daughter of Myra Spink Smith and J. Bowden Smith.
The love of her life was her husband and family. She was married to the Rev. Alvin D. Johnson for 66 years until his death in 2005. They were blessed with daughter Jane (and husband Kent Fanning), son Alvin D. Johnson, Jr. (and wife Jennifer), and son Paul B. Johnson (and wife Carol), along with 7 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was "Auntie" to Susie and Jeff Buntz and Alex Kleckner.
Over the years, their growing family had many happy experiences at their beach cottage Parson's Pasture, in East Matunuck Snug Harbor, along with the family of her sister Rhoda S. Buntz, who predeceased her in 2003.
Highly educated with a BA from Pembroke and an MA from Brown, she enjoyed many wonderful decades as a public school teacher in New England (Including Cromwell, CT) and Colorado, and as an adult literacy teacher. She loved classical music and played the piano. In retirement, gardening at Parson's Pasture was a special treasure for her as she freely shared her produce, flowers, and honey from her bees. She was devoted to her many friends and to her church, making hundreds of mittens for the "Mitten Tree". In later years, she was a regular in the YMCA water aerobics program in South Kingstown. During retirement, she split her time between Parson's Pasture and the Florida home of her daughter and son-in-law. She felt blessed by all the good she'd been given in life and tried very hard to give back more than she ever received.
A wonderful celebration of her long life was held on July 3rd in her beloved garden with her family gathered together for July 4th. A memorial celebration of her life was held on July 25th at the Wakefield Baptist Church following Sunday worship.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Wakefield Baptist Church, 236 Main Street, South Kingstown, RI 02879, or to a favorite charity.
She will be interred at the Quidnessett Cemetery family plot with her husband and her forebears. Arrangements were made with Cremation Society of RI.
The Providence Journal on July 8, 2010