Rosa Lee Johnson was born May 8, 1930, in Sayreton, Alabama. She was the fifth child of the late Asa Williamson, Sr. and Emma Lee (Hardy) Williamson, and was the matriarch of the Williamson-Johnson Family. She received her education from the Birmingham Public Schools, first attending Carrie A. Tuggle School and then Parker High School until her family migrated to Akron, Ohio in 1946. Once in Akron, she attended and graduated from West High School.
She worked at the Summit County Juvenile Court, retiring on November 30, 1990. She was jokingly almost fired on her last day of employment at the Court because she overslept and arrived hours late to work after attending the late-night birth of her great-granddaughter, Savannah Rose Douglas.
Her first church home was Christian Love Spiritual Church in Birmingham, Alabama under the pastorate of the late Rev. Rosalee Violet Burkes, for whom she was named. Pastor Burkes had no children, and asked her mother, Emma, to name her daughter after her if she had a girl. Emma agreed to name her “Rosa Lee Williamson” because she thought “Rosalee Violet Williamson” would be too much for a small child to learn how to spell. In 1939 the family moved to the East Thomas neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, and united with Mt. Zion Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Rev. John Lige. While attending Mt. Zion, she accepted the Lord at 10 years old and sang in the Children’s Choir.
When the family migrated to Akron in 1946, they united with Mt. Zion Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Rev. A. L. Dykes. While at Mt. Zion, where she worshipped and served from 1946-1972, she sang in multiple choirs and was a member of the Missionary Society.
In 1972 she joined the Peoples Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Rev. George W. Goodman. After her retirement from Summit County Juvenile Court on November 30, 1990, she started working as the Church Clerk on December 3, 1990 (three days later) and held that role until her second retirement in 2010. In addition to being the Church Clerk, she worshipped and served at Peoples from 1972-2018 in multiple capacities, including singing in the Senior Choir and the Gospel Pearls Choir, working in the church soup kitchen, and serving as President of the Missionary Society.
In 2018 she reunited with the Mt. Zion Baptist Church under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Robert L. Golson, where she worshipped and attended Bible study until the COVID-19 pandemic prevented her attendance.
She was the epitome of godliness, grace, kindness, strength, class, and dignity, and was full of wit and wisdom. A serious student of the Bible all her life, she was the go-to person for family and church family when they needed to find a Scripture passage, understand a Scripture passage, get encouragement from God’s Word, or remember the words to a gospel song or hymn. She was a true Titus 2 woman and was always willing to help others in their time of need. She also enjoyed reading, especially books about Black history, Bible word search puzzles, adult coloring books, sewing, crocheting, and gardening.
Preceded in death by her parents, all five of her siblings, daughter, Jocelyn Johnson; granddaughter, Donielle Hadden; and great-grandson Troy Taylor, she leaves to cherish her memory and to continue her legacy, daughters, Linda (Douglas) Cochran, Crystal (Douglas) Hadden, Karen Johnson, and Leslie Johnson, all of Akron; 9 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 15 great-great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives, friends, and spiritual sons and daughters.