Our Life
Tammy entered the world in September of 1962 and left much too soon in September of 2020. After living in Alabama and California, her family settled back in Alabama around 1969. Tammy started school in California and finished in Alabama. Happily she was baptized in 1978.
Her determined spirit became evident at one of the first times we met and I knew then that she was someone special. I was visiting a friend at his jewelry store. In walked Tammy and her cousin. She caught my eye but what got my attention most was the effort she made to pick up her class ring. They couldn’t get a ride that day so they set out on a 3 to 4 mile walk not willing to wait another day.
We met again about a year later, were married in 1981 and started pioneering together two years after that.
Over the next 20+ years we were able to work on foreign construction projects in Ecuador and the Philippines, spent several months at a time working on building projects at Wallkill and Patterson, New York, and helped manage an assembly hall in Florida.
During the almost 40 years we spent together, we were able to travel on occasion and enjoyed meeting people and making new friends across 4 continents; some of these friends becoming like family to this day.
Tammy was not one to hesitate when an opportunity arose to do something spontaneous. For instance, she was willing to set out on several road trips both in the US and several foreign countries including Ecuador, New Zealand, Australia, and more.
There was one occasion while we were living on the US Gulf Coast that we decided to visit friends in the Houston, Texas area. After a couple of days we figured that since we were close to San Antonio we should visit there as well. After seeing friends and realizing that New Mexico was not that far away we headed out that way to do some sightseeing at Carlsbad Caverns. We spent the day and then continued to Albuquerque for a few days. Why stop there? Next we were off to Colorado to a National Park near Utah.
Long story short what started as a 400 mile road trip ended up a 4,000 mile adventure!
And Tammy’s response — “that was fun, let’s do it again!” I hope to do just that and more someday soon.
Since 1981 we have had the opportunity to serve in 17 congregations in 6 states and 3 foreign countries.
Through these past 40 years Tammy was likely the only person who could have put up with my eccentricities and keep her unique, amazing spirit intact.
On reflection there are a great many more stories that could be told but I will wait and let her share them with you herself.
I will miss her more than anyone can imagine and I look forward to the day Jehovah will call and Tammy will answer smiling as she takes her first walk in paradise.
—Lester Johnson