From Mike Mayko, CT Post:
Her life was one of learning, teaching and inspiring. And even into her 90s, Geraldine Johnson, honored with degrees, awards and directorships, continued to volunteer at the Classical Studies Academy and with senior groups particularly those located at the Watermark Retirement Community at 3030 Park Avenue.
On Saturday morning, Johnson, 96, who paved the way as a role model becoming the city’s first black female principal, assistant superintendent and finally superintendent, died. Her daughter, Adrienne, said “she ended her long and fruitful journey peacefully and with dignity.”
Mayor-Elect Joseph Ganim praised Johnson “for her dedicated service and leaving behind a legacy of promoting good, quality education.”
Full story here.
I got to know Dr. Johnson when she served as a member of the charter revision commission that rewrote the city charter almost two decades ago. By that time she was a former superintendent and her credentials as an educator were well-established. But I found her interests, concerns and opinions went far beyond education. (Teacher that she was she did on occasion take me aside to privately question what she thought was bad grammar or usage). She was a thoughtful, articulate and dedicated leader. Bridgeport could use more like her.
One of my last and most favorite memories was from a year ago. Geraldine was at the Watermark riding around in circles on a Harley-Davidson. One arm wrapped around the biker with another giving me a wave.
A Living Legend Passes Us By!
My life journey and that of Geraldine Johnson intersected a few times over the years around education issues, music and the arts, her family, and broad issues of good governance in a diverse community. She was informed about her community, stayed active in it, and was respected for her values and her obvious contributions. She kept making new friends throughout and was a living example of running the marathon of life and staying strong to the finish. It would be well to study her story in more detail to find what can be done today by more folks to place us together on a similar track as community. Time will tell.
R.I.P. Mrs. Johnson. You made Bridgeport better, and proud. I recall a feature article from Life Magazine (June 21, 1968 that I stumbled across in the Neuroscience laboratory library while in graduate school at UCONN back in the ’90s) detailing a cutting-edge program under your auspices in the Bridgeport school system during the 1968 school year. The program addressed issues affecting the academic progress of inner-city high school students and served as a national, evidence based model, which is still in use in various forms around the country.
If Bridgeport had 10 more Geraldine Johnsons in various decision-making roles in Bridgeport city government, we’d be setting standards for all aspects of municipal government in Fairfield County.