Vickie Johnson, 93

Vickie Johnson, having lived a full and active life, passed away on the morning of Sunday May 1, 2022, at the age of 93. She was born Feb. 15, 1929, graduated from high school, married, raised four boys, enjoyed her career life, retired and passed away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the Lake City she always loved.

She was born to Earl G. and Edith (McKinnon) Faulkner, the youngest of three after her brother, Don Faulkner, and sister Dorothy Faulkner Jackson. Her parents had immigrated from Canada in 1924, joining other Faulkner family members who had located in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.

Her childhood was classic Coeur d'Alene, activities with her friends from school and church included tap dancing. She was an excellent swimmer and passed on to her boys her love of the lake and swimming. She attended Coeur d'Alene High School, graduating in 1947. She was active in the drill team and was Majorette her senior year. She made a point of attending class reunions and get-togethers with her classmates ever since.

Vickie met Ray Johnson, a combat veteran of WWII, in late 1946 when he asked her to join the “couples skate” at the roller rink. Their courtship included her making milkshakes for him at Van’s Creamery, a well-known soda fountain where she worked while in high school.

They were married Feb. 28, 1948, at First Presbyterian Church, where she had been baptized and was a lifelong member. Ray and Vickie had just celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary.

She bore, and then had to put up with, four sons: Steve (1949), Craig (1951), Jeff (1953) and Tim (1955). A week before her third child was born and having a girl’s name chosen and girl's baby clothing all made, she was up a ladder putting roofing on the garage of their new home. After Jeff was born, the neighbor, Mrs. Wilson, commented, “Maybe if you acted more like a lady you’d get that baby girl you wanted.”

Ray was a carpenter while Vickie worked in retail much of her life; at the soda fountain, in a flower shop, as a grocery clerk and at the stamp store (remember those?). Later she worked six years for Mrs. Pearson at the Fashionette on Sherman Avenue, a women’s wear retailer.

She and Ray purchased the Fashionette from Mrs. Pearson and Vickie ran it for 12 years. She succeeded by providing great customer service and buying selectively for her longtime customers. While owner of the Fashionette, she was president of the informal downtown merchants association for two years helping initiate a downtown flower basket program and sidewalk sales.

Her activities were numerous and varied. She and Ray both loved dancing, whether it was swing, honky-tonk country or square dancing. They were active square dancers for 17 years traveling to square dance events throughout the Northwest.

She won first prize in candy at the Kootenai County Fair for her divinity and had prize-winning chocolate brownies. She loved gardening and always had beautiful flower beds at their homes.

She always made time for her annual canning and Ray and the boys enjoyed home-canned peaches and locally picked cherries through many winters.

She volunteered in the community, contributing to the Ecumenical Kitchen and organizing the clothing for the Coeur d'Alene Homes Auxiliary Trading Post.

Vickie made many friends during the years of her membership in Beta Sigma Phi, a non-academic sorority created to provide social and cultural opportunities for women. Through her many close friendships there she took up golf.

Vickie loved her travels. While raising the boys, the family took numerous summer vacations in the family station wagon, camping to and from Yellowstone or Vail. As the owner of the Fashionette, she and Ray had years of clothes-buying trips to Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Vacations were frequently oriented around trips to alumni reunions of Ray’s Army unit, the 10th Mountain Division. Those included Vail, Colo.; French Lick, Ind.; Lake Champlain, N.Y.; as well as two trips to the Hill Towns of Italy (where Ray had served) with associated touring in Denmark, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She and Ray twice visited her father’s family roots in Nova Scotia.

Vickie is preceded in death by her parents and brother and sister. She is survived by her husband of 74 years, Ray, her four sons, Steve, Craig (Marissa), Jeff (Debbie) and Tim (Donna), 10 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

A lifelong Coeur d’Alene resident, Vickie was a devoted wife and mother, businesswoman, volunteer and traveler. She was an archetype of a Greatest Generation woman personifying the American Dream. She lived through the Great Depression and World War II, devoted her life to family and thrived through self-actualizing in motherhood, family, church, work and recreation. She was loved and respected for her devotion to family, friends and community, and experienced enough for two lifetimes. We were blessed to have her in our lives!

A celebration of Vickie’s life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, Sixth and Lakeside in Coeur d’Alene at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2022. The celebration is open to all who knew and loved her and will be followed by a reception in the adjoining Krueger Hall. A private burial will be held for family prior to the celebration of life at Riverview Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. Yates Funeral Home is entrusted with the care of final arrangements. Please visit Vickie’s memorial and sign her online guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com