Barbara Johnson

Barbara Kay Johnson, age 83, of Glenwood, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Oasis Hospice and Palliative Care’s House of Goshen facility in Flossmoor, Illinois.

She was surrounded by those who adored her, and her departure leaves a space that will never be filled. Yet her love endures within the many lives she touched.

Kay was born on July 2, 1943, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She attended Frederick Douglass High School, and college at Oklahoma University and Central State College (now the University of Central Oklahoma). Kay raised her family and then returned to the workforce as a librarian at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

Kay had an unwavering devotion to her family, and a grace that remained with her even in her final days. Her strength was most evident in her kindness and caring for others, and her greatest joy came from the simplest moments like a shared laugh, or a hand held. She lived her life with a gentle steadiness that made everyone around her feel safe.

Barbara is survived by her husband Bill Johnson, with whom she shared more than sixty years of partnership, laughter, and steadfast companionship. She is also survived by her sons, Mark and Steven; her loving granddaughters Jaden, Dylan, and Gracyn; her sisters Diana and Sylvia; and her brother Donnie.

She is preceded in death by her father Edward, her mother Gracie, and her sisters Yvonne and Edna.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to RestoreOKC https://www.restoreokc.org/

A celebration of life is being planned for Saturday, November 7, in Oklahoma City. Please check back to this website for information as it becomes available.

Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.inclusivefuneralcare.com.