Wilma Jean Johnson

May 4, 1944 – December 19, 2024

Wilma was born in Portland, Maine on May 4, 1944 to Frank and Jeanette Mitsmenn Gould.  She grew up in Gorham, closely knit with her brother Bob, her mom and dad, her four Mitsmenn cousins, and her grandparents George and Velma Mitsmenn.  Many children, related and unrelated alike, loved and claimed to be Grampie Mitsmenn's favorite. However, Wilma confidently maintained through her eighty years that she alone was the favored one.

Wilma attended Gorham Schools, graduating from Gorham High School in 1962. She spent many enjoyable days planning, photographing, and celebrating many classes of Gorham High School as they gathered annually for reunions.  Of special note is the strong and ongoing connection Wilma had with the Gals of '62, who have supported one another with love, encouragement, and community for over 60 years.

On June 13, 1964, Wilma married her high school sweetheart, Samuel Johnson, and the newlyweds made their way to Clinton, Connecticut. While living in Clinton, Sam began his teaching career, and the young couple began their family.  Diana Lynn arrived in May of 1965 and Stephanie Anne followed in May of 1968.

A return to Maine in 1970 began Wilma's fifty-four year residence in Eliot in a home that she thoroughly loved and made beautiful.  Wilma was a stay at home mom, which was the absolute best of her vocations. She volunteered with and supported all the activities the girls were involved in, be it the Girl Scouts, church groups, band competitions, softball games, and most especially, the beloved and delightful summers spent at Bonny Eagle Pond.  During these busy years, Wilma even found the time to both work part-time and volunteer at the United Methodist Church in Eliot.

Once the girls began their own studies, careers, and families, Wilma went on to work for Kittery Optometric Associates until retirement.  Her family at KOA forged a special bond, continuing to gather together many years after each had completed their tenure in the office.  It was upon Wilma's retirement that she thrived in her favorite vocation, that of being the best Oma to her grandchildren.

Second only to the grandchildren, the thing Wilma most enjoyed was being outside and capturing nature in photography.  Her bird pictures are famous!  She had many opportunities to get just the right shot in her beautiful backyard gardens, at the nearby ocean where she loved to walk, and various special spots she and Sam discovered on their afternoon jaunts. Wilma also had a heart and gift for researching the history of Gorham, sharing many photographs and articles about the people and landmarks of her hometown in the Gorham Times Newspaper.

In recent years, Wilma attended the First Congregational Church in North Berwick, and made many new and beautiful friendships within the church family. She brought a unique combination of being a breath of fresh air as well as fitting in as though she had been among them all along.  She was immediately loved and embraced within the church, and her sweet spirit will be greatly missed.

As is seen with the Gals of '62, her KOA family, her church family, and certainly her immediate family and friends, Wilma was instrumental in creating opportunities for people to connect and make special memories with one another.  A legacy she leaves us all is her gift of fostering and maintaining genuine relationships with others.

Wilma finished her journey here on earth the very same way she lived it: with grace, kindness, and an unrivaled optimism.  Staying in her home, visiting with and encouraging a host of family and friends in her final days, was a most fitting way for her to pass from this life to the next.

Wilma leaves behind her daughter and son-in-law Diana and Gary Kaszas of Fort Fairfield, ME; daughter and son-in-law Stephanie and Ted Smith of Windham, ME; brother and sister-in-law Robert and Barbara Gould of Gorham, ME; sisters-in law Virginia J. Vaughan of Greenland, NH, and Rae J. Bachelder of Brunswick, ME; her treasured grandchildren: Coral and Sam Kaszas, Thomas and Jessica (Smith) Cornelison, Natalie Smith, and Megan Smith; and a number of nieces, nephews, and special friends across the nation.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 on Saturday, January 18, 2025 with Pastor Jeffrey Pelkey officiating. The service will take place at the First Congregational Church of North Berwick, 15 High Street in North Berwick, Maine. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Women's Fellowship of the First Congregational Church at POB 565 North Berwick Maine 03906 or a charity of your choice. Care for the Johnson family has been entrusted to the JS Pelkey and Son Funeral Home.