Dorothy Johnson (neè Castleman) passed away quietly in her sleep, at her home in Redstone, on March 6th, 2018. She was 91. She lived at her Redstone home, Filoha Meadows, with her husband Dr. Bernarr Johnson, for 38 years.

Dorothy was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1926. She graduated from Pacific Union College with a degree in English. She married Bernarr Johnson after his return from military duty in WWII, on October 13th, 1946. They went on to have three children: Claudia, Mark and Charles. They celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in 2017.

The Johnsons worked as medical missionaries several times throughout their marriage. The first mission was in Ethiopia from 1952-1957 and their second was in India from 1967-1969. Between medical missions and after her children were grown, they traveled the globe together, visiting many countries. Once back in the United States, they lived in Grand Junction, and several places in California before eventually retiring in Redstone, Colorado.

Dorothy was an adventurous woman. Not only was she a world traveler, but she also was a pilot. She obtained her private pilot’s license and helped her husband during many flights for both business and pleasure. She worked for several years in the Civil Air Patrol while living in California, helping to search for downed planes. Since moving to Redstone, she and her husband worked to build up the Filoha Meadows retreat center, which she named Filoha after the Ethiopian word for ‘hot water’. She volunteered for LIFT-UP in Carbondale for many years and was very devoted to her church and Christian faith. She was known by everyone around her to be very caring and interested in helping others. She also was known for her love of chocolate!

She is survived by her husband Dr. Bernarr Johnson and two of her children, Dr. Claudia Nelson and Dr. Mark Johnson. Her son Charles Johnson preceded her in death in 2015. A memorial service for Dorothy will be held in the Redstone Community Church on May 19th, 2018. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to LIFT-UP.