- Date Of Birth: March 8, 1932
- Date Of Death: September 2, 2021
- State: Arizona
Kathy Johnson passed away in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Thursday, September 2, 2021, at the age of 89 after a brief battle with cancer.
Kathy (Sullivan) Johnson, was born in Liverpool, England, on March 8, 1932, to Catherine and James Sullivan.
Kathy met the love of her life, a young American Air Force Tech Sergeant, W.W. “Johnny” Johnson, standing in line to see the movie “The Luck of the Irish.” Throughout their life together, Johnny would tease her that he was her “luck of the Irish” that day.
Kathy and Johnny were married in Liverpool, England on July 16, 1952. When Johnny’s tour of duty ended in 1955, Kathy came to the United States to begin her new life as a military bride, living at Air Force bases in Texas, Louisiana, Guam, and Arizona. While on Guam, she was so beloved by the citizens, that the Governor of Guam declared her an honorary citizen. Also during this time, Kathy became an American citizen.
When Johnny retired from the Air Force in 1967, Kathy and Johnny began their new “retired military” life together in Flagstaff.
Partners in everything they did, Kathy and Johnny became co-owners (with Flagstaff native David Slipher) of the historic Monte Vista Hotel, Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge from 1968 to 1985. Johnny managed the hotel, and Kathy managed and tended bar in the cocktail lounge. Under Kathy’s management, Monte Vista Lounge soon became the place to be. It didn’t take long before Johnny and Kathy made lifetime friends throughout the business and legal communities in Downtown Flagstaff.
As the result of their love of boating, Kathy, Johnny, and their son Mike started a boat parts store in the basement of the hotel. The new business was so successful, that they sold the hotel and built Flagstaff’s first full-service large boat dealership, Monte Vista Marine.
Kathy was unselfishly devoted to her friends and family, always putting them first in her life and in her heart. While she had many personal accomplishments, she considered her greatest accomplishments to be her family, her many friends, and that she was an American citizen.
Kathy is survived by her husband Johnny, daughter Carolyn (Johnson) Jagger and son-in-law Butch Jagger; son Michael Johnson and daughter-in-law Lois Johnson; grandson Jonathan Jagger; and great-grandson Alexander Jagger.
Kathy was preceded in death by her father, James Sullivan, mother, Catherine “Kitty” Sullivan Jackson, stepfather Tommy Jackson, and brother Jim Sullivan.
