Leslie ( Lessie ) Johnson

Ms. Leslie Johnson of Dunn, North Carolina died peacefully on Wednesday afternoon, March 3rd 2021, at Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn, North Carolina. Ms. Leslie was born in Summerton, South Carolina to the late Jean Johnson and Sarah Manning Johnson. After Leslie spent her school days in South Carolina, and then migrated to New York City, New York and lived with her aunt Mary Lou Manning for many years. Ms. Leslie remained strong and independent as she raised her only child, Ms. Diane Johnson, in New York City, New York. All her family and friends knew her as Lessie, as she spent many years raising and caring for many generations of her family members. Ms. Leslie loved to walk from Manhattan to the Bronx to shop on 3rd Avenue and 149th Street and she was well known for her cooking. She is proceeded in death by her parents, Jean Johnson, Sarah Manning Johnson, oldest brother Alex Johnson (Doc), her other brothers Albertus Johnson (Hymie) and Earl Johnson, her aunt Mary Lou Manning, and her niece Christina Rodriguez of New York. Left to cherish her memories are her only daughter, Diane Johnson from Manhattan, New York, her granddaughters Latonya Johnson of New York, Ivy Small of Dunn, North Carolina, great-grandchildren Xavier Bonnemere of New York, and Zaire Holt of North Carolina, her sister Barbra Johnson Jackson (Willie) of Summerton, South Carolina, her nieces Cynthia Barrow (Eric) and Iris Rodriguez of New York, New York, and her first cousin also named Mary Nell Manning, and cousin David Gavins.

At 83 she had lived to witness the historical civil rights movement, African Americans rights to voting, through the 1960’s the women’s liberation, as well as the influence of Dr. Martin L. King, Malcom X, and the first black President Barack Obama.

There will be a viewing on Saturday at 1:30 pm-2:00 pm, followed by the funeral service at 2:00 pm at Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Dunn, North Carolina.

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