Bertha Frances Puryear Johnson was born on June 22, 1922 in Winchester,
Massachusetts to Doctor Hammett and LaBlanche Phillips Puryear and she
departed this life on November 7, 2020 in Winchester. She was the wife of the
late Melvin S. Johnson Sr. and mother of Melvin S. Johnson, Jr. and Irving C.
Johnson.
She was the youngest of three siblings, the late Anna Jane Finley and the late
Eugene Puryear. When her sister Anna passed away, at a relatively young age
Bertha stepped in to help Anna’s husband, Cornelius raise his two children
Joyce and Cornelius, Jr. who were 16 and 13 at the time.
Bertha lived in Medford Massachusetts all of her life. She enjoyed living in what
was lovingly known as the “Big House” with her parents, sister, brother, aunts,
uncles and cousins as one big happy family. Bertha was a lifelong member of
Shiloh Baptist Church and a member of the Jr. Matrons in West Medford, MA.
She worked at Abt Associates in Cambridge, MA for several years. She loved
fashion and had dreams as a young girl of being a fashion designer. She had an
extensive wardrobe and often visited her favorite store Filene’s Basement of
Boston. She loved making afghans for family and friends. Bertha loved visiting
her husband Melvin’s family and friends in Coatesville, PA.
She leaves behind many grandnieces & nephews along with her grandchildren,
the late Sonya Johnson Okyere-Yeboah, Lisa Johnson Williams of California,
Shawn Burgo of Massachusetts, Rachel Gomes-Boisvert of New Hampshire,
Quynn Lovett of Florida, and Jarett Lovett and Alan Johnson of Massachusetts.
Great grandchildren, Zion Okyere-Yeboah and Miah Williams, of California,
Trevor and Jonah Burgo of Massachusetts, Johnathan and Myles Gomes-Boisvert
and Maya Gomes-VanPelt of New Hampshire, Jeremy Duhon of West
Virginia, Zoe Lovett and Samaya Lovett of Massachusetts.
Her Funeral Service will be celebrated in the Beals-Geake-Magliozzi Funeral
Home, 29 Governors Avenue, Medford on Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 2 PM. Service will be available for Zoom viewing. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85398324054?pwd=WXJ5K09kclljSG5NK3hTV1JMZ0E1UT09
Meeting ID: 853 9832 4054
Passcode: 621078