Johnson Norma Jean

Norma Jean Johnson (Phelps), a former North Tustin, California resident for over forty years, and a resident of Riverside, California for the past six years, passed away suddenly and peacefully on February 16, 2023, at the age of 92. Norma was born on December 19, 1930, in Pansy, Missouri. Upon graduation from Mountain Grove High School in Missouri in 1948, where Norma was active in sports and music, she married Donald Everett Johnson who was enlisted in the United States Air Corps (United States Air Force). Don preceded Norma in death on April 25, 2016.

After Don served in the Korean War, Don and Norma and their two children, Bryce and Donna, were later stationed at Mildenhall Air Force Base in England and Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya. Don retired from the Air Force in 1967. Don and Norma then moved the family from Texas to Riverside, California, where they opened a Radio Shack store, which began another successful twenty-year career with Tandy Corporation for Don.

Norma is survived by her daughter, Donna Thierbach (Rick) of Riverside, California, and her son, Bryce Johnson (Christine), of Mariposa, California, her two granddaughters (Tessa and McKenna), and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her three brothers: Gerald, Morton and William.

Norma enjoyed traveling throughout the world, RV-ing, square dancing, reading and computer games-especially Words With Friends with her granddaughter, McKenna. She was an excellent cook. Beans and cornbread was one of the family favorites, especially for Don. The fudge she made during Christmas was another highlight. Barbecues and making homemade ice cream was a favorite family event. Norma was a wonderful hostess and entertained regularly at her home in Tustin.

Norma was outgoing and adventurous. During one of her trips overseas, she was pictured with a Boa Constrictor wrapped around her neck. Don and Norma traveled to Mexico where they loaded their RV on a train for an adventurous trip through Mexico. Norma and Don also enjoyed taking their granddaughters to Southern California beaches and to Yosemite National Park in their RV. She and Don loved Country Music and enjoyed going to Branson, Missouri, to meet up with family members and friends and enjoy the country western entertainment there.

Norma was very tough and resilient as a wife of an Airman with two young children whose husband was gone a great deal of the time due to his military duties. There were times when Norma traveled alone with her young children by ship, airplane, and on one occasion, had a very challenging Greyhound bus trip from California to the East Coast and then by military airplane to Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya. She and the children arrived safely in the middle of the night. Awaiting Norma and the children, was Don at the airport, and a Villa off the Air Force Base that came with a watchdog Boxer named Pepper and her pups. Norma loved animals so the dogs were a welcome sight. Norma would occasionally see her children off to catch the bus to school on the military base in a donkey cart driven by their Libyan landlord. Norma loved her stay in Libya, and England as well, and this instilled a lifelong love of travel.

Norma was a loving wife, mother and grandmother (Grandma J). Her childhood was extremely difficult for her and for her brothers, but in spite of that, they all grew up to be hardworking, positive and successful individuals. Norma was a “glass is half full” type of person to her very last day. As we said to our Dad when he passed, Happy Trails. We love you, Mom, and will hold you in our hearts, forever.

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