Dianne Campbell Johnson, 65, of Concord, N.C., passed away on Wednesday, April 6, 
2011, at her home, surrounded by her family.
Dianne was born on March 10, 1946, in Concord, N.C., the daughter of Harry Alex Campbell and Kate “Polly” Irene Russell Campbell. Her father passed away when Dianne was a very young girl, so she was reared by her mother and her stepfather, Dan McCree.
Visitation will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2011, at Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church, Kannapolis, N.C., and the funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
She was baptized and confirmed at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Kannapolis, N.C., and later became a member of Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church, Kannapolis, where she sang in the Chancellor Choir.
She was a 1964 graduate of G.W. Carver High School in Kannapolis, N.C., and was the class salutatorian, played basketball, was in the Glee Club and was a majorette and cheerleader. She married her high school sweetheart, Leonard Johnson, on August 30, 1964, after he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. They left North Carolina and began a life that would take them on many travels. Their daughter, Michele Nicole, was born while they were stationed in San Diego, Calif., and Rhonda Lynn was born in Rota, Spain. The Johnsons made cherished friends and new family wherever they moved.
Dianne became a Licensed Practical Nurse while living in Norfolk, Va. She later earned her Associate’s Degree from Florida Junior College at Jacksonville, and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Dianne loved being a Registered Nurse. She went above and beyond her responsibilities in caring for her patients. In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Dianne was part of a volunteer team of nurses who assisted the injured in some of the areas most devastated by the storm.
She had a variety of hobbies and interests, including bowling, sewing, reading, gardening, and collecting and restoring antiques. She once hosted a radio talk show, worked as a party clown and planned weddings. Dianne was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2008, but she never let it break her spirit. She continued to inspire her friends and family until the very end.
Dianne was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Leonard Johnson, of the home; her daughter Michele, and her husband, Larry Johnson and their children, Courtney and Corey A.J., all of Sapelo Island, Ga.; her daughter Rhonda, her husband, Eric Hodges, and their children, Vicente’, Christena and Daniel, all of Concord, N.C; her brothers, William Russell of Charlotte, N.C., James E. Campbell, Sr. and wife, Anita of Huntersville, N.C., Harry R. Campbell of Kannapolis, N.C., and Gary Reid, and wife, Bonnie of Franklin, Tenn.; her sister, Geraldine K. Marshall and her husband, Johnny of Chicago, Ill.; many loving and devoted family members and dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to ALS Association Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter, 120 Penmarc Drive, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27603;1-877-568-4347.
Arrangements are being handled by Clark Funeral Home Inc., 923 Indian St., Kannapolis, N.C. 28083; (704) 933-8646
***
Qcitymetro.com publishes free obituaries and death notices as a service to our readers. Email obits@qcitymetro.com.
