Sister Donna Johnson

Sister Donna Johnson, formerly Sister Elizabeth Louise and Sister Elise, died peacefully at the Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse in Fremont, California on February 15, 2018. Donna Mae was born in Stockton, CA to Ralph Wesley Johnson and Elizabeth L. Pucci on September 11, 1931. She grew up in a loving family with her younger brother, Richard, to whom she was very close throughout her life. Her education began at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. She graduated from Stockton College High School in 1949, attended Heald’s Business College then worked as a secretary for 11 years. As a Dominican sister, she studied at Queen of the Holy Rosary and Holy Names Colleges, then at Cal State University, Long Beach and finally at Cal State Fullerton University where she received her BA in Business Administration. From 2000 to 2001 Sister studied at the school of Applied Theology in Oakland, California. Donna Johnson became a convert to the Catholic faith on November 7, 1956, entered the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose in 1960 and was professed in 1962. Her first two years of ministry were spent teaching at St. Elizabeth High School in Oakland, after which she used her extensive business acumen as Corporation Treasurer of Congregational owned schools in San Francisco and Anaheim, California. From 1986 to 2000 she served as Congregational Treasurer, having earned an MSA in Non-Profits Financial Management from Notre Dame University. In 2001 she began to work with Vision of Hope, the Congregation’s Office of School Development. For 11 years she managed the finance office and then served as Vision of Hope Finance Director until her retirement in 2016. Sister Donna was devoted to her family and friends and will be greatly missed by her nieces Elizabeth Gregerson, Alexis Johnson, nephew Scott Johnson and their families as well as by her Dominican Sisters who knew her to be a loving, compassionate, woman of integrity who was a joy to live with. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Sister Donna Johnson Scholarship at Dominican Sisters Vision of Hope, 1555 35th Ave., Oakland CA 94601.