Dana Point, Calif - Janice M. Johnson, devoted mother, grandmother, sister, arts advocate, and community pillar passed away in Dana Point, California on May 20, 2026, at the age of 92.

Born on April 15, 1934, in West Winfield, New York, Janice lived a life marked by conviction, generosity, and a deep love of the people and communities around her. She graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 1956 with a degree in Music Education, beginning a lifelong relationship with the arts that would shape both her personal and professional life.

While at Potsdam, she met Roger W. Johnson, whom she would marry and spend the next several decades building a life with. Together they raised three children and lived throughout the country as Roger's career led them from one chapter to the next. Though she cherished her years in Washington, D.C. and the many adventures they shared there, Southern California ultimately became home. Janice and Roger settled in Laguna Beach, where she spent many happy years just a short walk from the ocean she loved so dearly.

Janice dedicated much of her life to civic service and the arts. Alongside Roger, she endowed the Johnson Chair for Civic Governance and Public Management at the University of California, Irvine. She served as Board Chair of Pacific Symphony, chaired the Guilds of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, served on the Executive Committee of the National Symphony Orchestra, was a board member of the White House Endowment Fund, sat on the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, and contributed as a National Endowment for the Arts panelist. Her leadership, vision, and tireless volunteerism strengthened numerous cultural and educational institutions throughout Orange County and beyond.

At home, she could often be found singing along to her favorite music with a glass of cold chardonnay in hand. She was the kind of host who knew how to throw a memorable party—elegant and gracious, yet always ready with a mischievous joke and a perfectly timed one-liner.

Janice was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Roger Johnson. When family and friends were asked what they remembered most about Janice, one theme surfaced again and again: the extraordinary love she and Roger shared.

She is survived by her children, Marek Johnson, Eric Johnson, and Daniel Johnson (wife Renee); her cherished grandchildren, Sarah Johnson, Megan Johnson, and Avery Cantor; and sister Debbie Lloyd.

While many will remember her for her civic leadership and advocacy for the arts, those closest to her will remember something even more enduring: her fierce strength, wicked sense of humor, profound love of music and beauty, unwavering devotion to family and friends, and staunch loyalty to those she loved. She leaves behind a legacy of service, friendship, resilience, determination, and love that will continue to inspire all who knew her.

This remembrance was lovingly written by her grandchildren, Avery, Sarah, and Megan, who will carry her memory—and more than a few of her opinions—with them always.