Shirley Jean Johnson

of Hammond, formerly of South Chicago, passed into eternity on the morning of Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at the age of 83. Shirley leaves behind to cherish and honor her memory her four children: Bernard (Roya) Blackman, Pamela (Abraham) Dale, Jackie Webb and Alichia (Michael) McKenney; five grandchildren: Darius Dale, Allison (Victor) Bates-Martinez, Candice Woodridge, Tycarre McKenney and Reginald McKenney; six great-grandbabies: Alexion Dennis, Makayla Woodridge, Maya Martinez, Alejandra Martinez, Charlijae "Skoota-poo" Woodridge  and Diana Martinez; sisters Sally (William) Darnell, Georgia Ulmer and many other extended family and friends. Shirley was preceded in death by her son Charles "Herbie" Dale Jr., her parents John Paradise and Jimmetta Boyd-Johnson, brothers Stanley Johnson, Bernard Johnson and five spouses: Charles Dale, Donald Webb, George McKenney, Cordell Atlas and Ellis Wright.

Our Mother, our Grandmama, our Matriarch: Shirley Jean Johnson was blessed with a generous heart, a tenacious spirit and the gift of pure, unfiltered honesty about the world around her. She was born into this world on December 10, 1934 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Shirley was a graduate of Wendell Phillips High School in South Chicago Class of '52.  Expand a bit here perhaps?  Shirley retired from Ford Motor Company in 2001 after 22 years of service.

Shirley was not only the life of the party she was the party. Having given her soul to Jesus at an early age, the Lord in turn, blessed our family with the lovingly straight-forward "what you see is what you get" woman who we will miss dearly and whose memory we now carry in our hearts.

A Celebration of Shirley's life will be held on Friday, March 16, 2018 at the Centennial Park Clubhouse 1005 S Centennial Drive Munster, IN. Friends and family may gather in fellowship from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. Solan Pruzin Funeral Home & Crematory entrusted with arrangements.