Mary Jo Johnson

Mary Josephine (Mary Jo) Laughter Sweat Johnson passed away on January 2nd at home. Age 83.  Mary Jo was survived by her husband, Captain Kevin Johnson NFD (Ret.) four children, Joseph Sweat, Stephen Alton, Michael Sweat (Michael Tuscan), And Cynthia Parrish.  Also survived by Four Grandchildren and three Great Grandchildren. Mary Jo was adopted as an infant by Verne and Jessie Laughter (both deceased) and had one brother Chief Richard Laughter MFD (recently deceased and survived by his wife Joyce). Mary Jo married right out of High School to Joseph A. Sweat and devoted her life to raising her four children working secretarial jobs and writing articles for local magazines to make ends meet.  In 1985 she married Kevin and opened her own business.  A Hair Salon called “The Phoenix” years later she shuttered the business when her mother, Jessie, suffered a debilitating stroke and needed to be taken care of full time.  When her mother passed, she went back to being a mother and by then a grandmother. She loved art, music, animals, but most of all her family.

A Memorial Celebration of her life will be held at the Pavilion at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens on January 29th between 11a.m. and 1p.m. 9090 Highway 100 Nashville, Tn 37221 615-646-9292