Obituary of Cynthia F Johnson

Cynthia Floyd Johnson, June 3rd, 1944 – April 3rd, 2024.

The life that was lived in the dash is a testimony of faith, grace, and love.

Cynthia was born prematurely at her home in Lake City, South Carolina on June 3rd ,1944. Not expected to survive, she was nestled in a shoebox filled with newspaper and placed near the wood stove to keep her warm. As the second oldest of 9 children, Cynthia and her siblings learned the meaning and value of hard work, a lesson she lived and instilled in her children and grandchildren. Cynthia graduated from East Clarendon High School in Turbeville, SC in 1961. She moved to Charleston and lived with her older sister Frances and began working for Southern Bell, sending as much money home as possible to help care for her younger siblings.

In December of 1966, Cynthia married Kenneth Johnson, a young sailor in the Navy originally from Minnesota. This marriage took Cynthia all over the country after Ken joined the Coast Guard to make a home for her family every few years in Alaska, Washington, Northern Minnesota, Alaska (again), and finally Northern New York where they settled after he retired. At every stop, Cynthia worked hard to quickly create a comfortable loving home for her growing family. Her faith, grace, and love made every house, from military housing to fixer-upper farmhouse to newly constructed dream home, a place everyone felt welcome, and all were welcomed.

In 1993, Cynthia was struck with the biggest challenge of her life. Her body began to betray her with a severe auto-immune condition and breast cancer. It was a creative balancing act between rheumatology and oncology to control one while keeping the other from getting worse until she was strong enough to have surgery to remove the cancer. It was also a 10-month road from hospitalization to returning home to relearn how to do everything again. Throughout the hospitalization, even in the most dire of moments, Cynthia’s faith was evident. She remained positive and encouraging through it all. Shortly after she entered the hospital, her sister June sent her a card, and the verse Isaiah 41:10 became her hope, her courage, and her prayer.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand

This verse spent months taped to the foot of her hospital bed as a reminder. She knew she was in her father’s hands, and when she feared, she prayed, when she worried, she prayed, when she was weak and tired, she prayed.

Cynthia recovered, went back to work, became a grandmother to nine and a great grandmother to one (and another on the way), but the years of steroid use to keep her autoimmune condition at bay took a toll on her body resulting in two hip replacements. None of this kept her down physically and her faith only grew. She and Ken, her husband of 56 years became snowbirds, spending summers in Northern New York and winters in Charleston. It took a long time, but Ken finally brought her home.

The summers in New York ended in 2022 when her husband died. She spent her time active in her church, International Church of God in West Ashley, pastored by her baby brother Stafford. She was so proud of the spiritual leader he became and frequently recommended viewing his sermons online because his sermons were so profound, interesting, meaningful, and/or timely. She was involved with her women’s bible study and looked forward to making one of her many delicious soup recipes for their weekly meetings. She was also held up by dinners with her sister Luki multiple times a week, weekly lunches with her cousin, regular dates with some of her fellow widows from church, and game nights hosted by various sisters, nieces, and nephews.

The night of March13th, 2024, Cynthia suffered a massive stroke. She spent three weeks in the hospital fighting to recover. In those three weeks, the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from family and friends offered one of the greatest testimonies to a life lived emulating Christ’s love. God ended the pain and suffering of one of his most faithful servants on April 3rd, 2024, and called her home. We are grateful for the time we had her on this earth and are even more grateful for the testimony of love, faith, and perseverance she left behind.

Cynthia is reunited in heaven with her husband of 56 years, Kenneth Johnson. She is survived by her children Eric Johnson (Meggan), Sonya Johnson, and Sandra Tisdale (Kory), nine grandchildren Jarika Tuohimaa, Paul Johnson, Timothy Johnson (HollyAnn), Samantha Johnson, Josiah Tuohimaa (Courtney), Caleb Johnson, Autumn Tisdale, Isaac Johnson, and Adah Johnson, and her great-grandsons Kenneth Johnson and Levi Johnson (arriving July 2024). She is also survived by seven of her eight siblings and many of their spouses, nephews and nieces too numerous to name, and a host of friends far and near.

Thank you, Cynthia, for being a beacon of God’s love and an example of the power of faith. You will be missed.

Services will be held at International Church of God on Sunday April 14th at 2pm with internment at Beaufort National Cemetary on Tuesday Aprile 16th at 11am. In lieu of flowers we are requesting donations to Changed Lives Ministry in her memory https://changedlivesministry.org/donate or a donation to a cause close to your heart.

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