Friday, March 4, 2016

JILLIAN JOHNSON (MARCH 4, 1982 TO JULY 23, 2015)



            Jillian Johnson will always be remembered by Unit 1012. As she was born on March 4, 1982, we will remember her on her birthday and treasure the precious memories of her life on earth.


"So long as we live, they too shall live and love for they are a part of us as we remember them."
- Gates of Prayer

 

Jillian Johnson
(March 4, 1982 to July 23, 2015)

Jillian Johnson Obituary

Date of Birth:
Thursday, March 4th, 1982

Date of Death:
Thursday, July 23rd, 2015

Funeral Home:
1011 Bertrand Drive
LAFAYETTE, Louisana, UNITED STATES
70506

Obituary:
A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, July 27, 2015 at 12:30pm in the Delhomme Chapel of the Flowers for Jillian Johnson, 33. Reverend John Wamsley will conduct the Services.

Jillian Johnson, who made a name for herself as one of South Louisiana’s most gifted and beloved creative professionals, and who was at the forefront of the region’s cultural and artistic renaissance, passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2015. She leaves behind a legacy of beautiful artwork and design, brilliant and meaningful entrepreneurship, civic advocacy, and timeless song. For all of those who knew and loved her, she was the model of a life well lived.

Jillian was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, with deep family roots in Cajun Country. She lived in Nashville, TN, between 1988 and 2002, when she moved back to attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, from which she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Ceramics.

Even before graduating college, she was fearlessly independent and business-minded, and her involvement in the Louisiana music scene began when she took over as a manager and booking agent for the Cajun swing outfit, The Red Stick Ramblers.

Soon, she was managing other local bands, in addition to designing websites, compact discs, and posters, for a rapidly growing list of grateful clients. She quickly became the most sought after resource for a wide range of people and businesses looking to convey their message to the public in a way that was artistic, beautiful, and meaningful. In the process, she became instrumental in shaping and driving the sensibility and voice of an entire generation of creative individuals in the region.

In addition to her celebrated work in music and art and business, she was a prominent civic advocate, and she played seminal roles in developing the neighborhood improvement group, TownFolk, as well as the Acadiana Food Circle.

Above all, she was a beloved wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. She and her husband Jason met in 2009 when he became her neighbor. From that moment, they were inseparable, and they married in 2013. Together, they started a new life and a new business, Red Arrow Workshop. With her beloved brother Bram and business partner Tom Brown, she founded Parish Ink, focusing on items that reflected the region’s cultural pride and identity. She loved her step-daughter Paxton deeply. She also adored her two poodles, Knives and Vega, who became the popular stars of her Instagram posts.

Jillian was a beacon of integrity, creativity, diligence, and love to all who knew her. She had a wicked sense of humor mixed with a warm, graceful, and regal presence. She was loved by all, and she will not soon be forgotten.

Jillian is survived by her husband, Jason Maloy Brown; her step-daughter, Paxton Azella Myles-Brown; her parents, Jackie and Sally Johnson; her brother, Bram Johnson; her paternal grandmother, Mary Ruby Benoit; and her maternal grandfather, Eldon Lyle Adams. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandfather, William Stanley Johnson, Jr. and her maternal grandmother, Argylee Adele Boone.

The family request the visiting hours be observed on Sunday, July 26, 2015 from 10:00am until 6:00pm. Visitation will continue on Monday, July 27, 2015 from 9:00am until time of service.

In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Lafayette Central Park, Inc., 2901 Johnston Street, Suite 300, Lafayette, LA 70503, Attn: Johnson Memorial or online at http://cfacadiana.org/contribute. Select Lafayette Central Park, Inc.- General Fund and indicate that the gift is in memoriam of Jillian Johnson.

Personal condolences may be sent to the Johnson family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com.

Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA is in charge of funeral arrangements.


Jillian Johnson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Published 10:29 am EDT, July 24, 2015 Updated 1:34 pm EDT, January 27, 2016 9 Comments By Laura Amato

  

Jillian Johnson
(March 4, 1982 to July 23, 2015)
[PHOTO SOURCE: (Facebook)]
Police have identified a second victim in John Russell Houser’s shooting spree at the Grand 16 theater as 33-year-old Jillian Johnson. Houser, who authorities said was living in a hotel outside of Lafayette Louisiana, opened fire during a showing of Trainwreck on Thursday night. Houser took his own life at the scene, while a second victim, 21-year-old Mayci Breaux was also killed. Johnson died later at a local hospital.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Johnson Had Been Married Since 2013

  

Jillian Johnson and Jason Brown
[PHOTO SOURCE: (Facebook)]

According to her Facebook page, Johnson and Jason Brown had been married since April 9, 2013. Brown, a fellow Louisiana native, studied journalism at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, graduating in 2005. He had previously worked as the cops and courts reporter for The Advocate from 2008 to 2012.

She posted this photo to her page after three months of marriage:

  

Three months of marriage down. The rest of our lives to go. Let's do this thing!
After news broke that Johnson had been identified as one of the victims of the shooting, her Facebook page became a memorial of sorts as posts and messages came pouring in to honor her memory.

2. She & Her Husband Owned Red Arrow Workshop

 
(Facebook)

The couple opened their first store in August 2012, in Lafayette’s River Ranch area. It features a collection of “hip, well-designed items” along with goods the pair has made themselves and items made in Louisiana. According to the website, the store features products that “reflect our ongoing commitment to sustainable living and beautiful design.”

Last fall, Jason and Jillian decided to expand their retail endeavors to a second store, opening a store on Magazine Street in New Orleans, featuring a full selection of Red Arrow goods.

3. Johnson Described Herself as a ‘Sentimental Hoarder & Uptight Minimalist’

  

According to her “important things to know page” on her store’s website, Johnson was a little bit eccentric but in a way that also made her more than just a little bit endearing.

In addition to her self-described hoarder tendencies, Johnson also wrote that she is obsessed with Fats Waller, Tina Turner and John Steinbeck and that she’s not a big fan of ice cream. Her friends and family, flooding her Facebook wall on Friday morning with memories and sentiments, called Johnson “a beautiful, confident, statuesque woman” as well as an “extremely talented artist and musician.”

4. Johnson Also Worked on the Louisiana Flea Market Circuit

  

(Facebook)
Although she and Brown operated two standalone stores, they also worked regularly on the flea market circuit throughout Louisiana.

  



In addition to Red Arrow, Johnson helped create Parish Ink, which designed and sold t-shirts as well as operating her own Etsy shop that could ship goods from both creative endeavors across the country. She also worked regularly with her older brother Bram, who helped design the apparel that Parish Ink produced and sold.

5. She Graduated from a Nashville, Tennessee High School

 

Although Johnson had lived in Lafayette for years and built a life for herself there, she had also spent time in Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated from Hillwood High School in 2000 and earned her B.F.A in fine arts from the Univeristy of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Johnson was incredibly proud of her Louisiana roots and frequently used the design of the state in her own work. As social media posts began to pour in honoring Johnson, this “Louisiana Power” banner was frequently mentioned. In fact, it’s the same banner and design that can be seen in the background of Johnson and Brown’s wedding photos as well.



Lafayette is about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal called the shooting “an awful night for Lafayette, this is an awful night for Louisiana, this is an awful night for the United States. But we will get through this.”

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