Mary Lou Johnson-Roy

Mary Johnson-Roy, mother, wife, sister, auntie, friend, and lifelong Northside community member, went home to her God on March 27, 2024 at the age of 71, after a four-year journey with Lewy body dementia. Her beloved husband Edroy was at her side. Mary Lou Mays was born on May 14, 1952 to Ester and Otis Mays, the fourth of their five children. She enjoyed a happy childhood, growing up with Mildred, Lindell, Leola and Otis in the family home on Logan Avenue in North Minneapolis. With lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins living nearby, there were always picnics and fun family gatherings to enjoy. Mary's family attended St. John's Baptist Church at 12th and Morgan where she loved to sing in the choir. Mary also enjoyed doing arts and crafts, and regular fishing outings with her family to Lake Minnetonka gave her a lifelong love of fishing as well. Mary attended John Hay Elementary School, Lincoln Junior High School, and North Community High School, where she graduated in 1970. As a senior at North, she sang with the Black Choir, participated in the Afro-American Student Society, and was on the POLARIS yearbook staff. On November 25, 1972, Mary gave birth to her first and only child, Laramiun Lamont Byrd. He was the center of her life, bringing her much joy. She worked at the Hennepin County Welfare Department during the day, and part-time jobs in the evening to provide for Laramiun. She later went to work for the Bell Telephone Company in Minneapolis where she was employed for 20 years. Laramiun's tragic murder on February 12, 1993, set Mary on a path no mother ever wants to walk. In the midst of her grief, she left the phone company and went to work at Harvest Praise International Church where she used her gifts in her role as an administrative assistant and counselor, often walking with others experiencing grief. She used these same gifts in her later work at Joint Heirs with Christ Church in North Minneapolis. Laramiun's daughter Rosalynda Michelle Boykin was born shortly after his death, making Mary a proud grandmother. Mary and Rosalynda enjoyed spending time with one another as she was growing up, including attending church together. During this period of her life, Mary wrestled with her faith and her contempt for the young man who took her son's life. Around 2003, Mary serendipitously came across a poem called "Two Mothers". It described an imaginary heavenly encounter between the mother of Jesus and the mother of Judas Isacariot, his betrayer. Inspired by the poem, Mary felt called to bring mothers on both sides of the tragedy of homicide together for healing. To do so, she needed to do something about all the bitterness that she'd long held in her heart for the young man who'd killed her son. It led her to restorative justice and eventually meeting Oshea Israel at Stillwater Prison on March 26, 2005. As they parted, Mary and Oshea shared a hug that forever changed her life, liberating her from years of anger, hatred and resentment. She had truly forgiven him. As they grew in relationship, she claimed him as her "spiritual son". In 2005, Mary founded the nonprofit From Death to Life, to facilitate her work and get her message of the power of forgiveness out in the world. For 18 years, Mary led the Two Mothers Healing Group, providing comfort, support and healing for mothers of children lost to homicide. These mothers in turn reached out to mothers "on the other side" who had lost children to prison because of homicide. The two groups of mothers came together regularly over the years for prayer walks, annual retreats in northern Minnesota, and monthly "Code Red" events on West Broadway. There, the mothers invited others from the community to stand with them in calling for peace and an end to violence in our city. Mary and Oshea shared their story in prisons, touching the hearts of many incarcerated men. When Oshea was released from prison in 2009, Mary threw a homecoming party for him at the St Jane House, inviting friends in her FDTL circle to meet and support him in his re-entry. Soon after, Oshea moved into the apartment next to hers at Alafia Place in North Minneapolis, bringing the concept of "loving thy neighbor" to a whole new level. In April of 2011, producers from StoryCorps came to Minneapolis to record a conversation between Mary and Oshea that was edited into a powerful 3-minute piece that was heard by an estimated 12 million listeners when it aired a month later on NPR's Morning Edition. This launched their story into the world. Soon thereafter, media organizations around the world including the CBS Evening News, BBC, CNN, CBC, and ABC's The View, picked up on the story and it went global. With all the media exposure, the invitations for Mary and Oshea to tell their story came pouring in. They traveled around the state and country sharing their story at churches, synagogues, restorative justice conferences, and other events. Mary traveled with Oshea to Washington, D.C. several times where they worked with the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth which seeks to end life sentences without parole for youth. In March of 2012, she and Oshea attended the oral argument of a Supreme Court case for which their story was included in a legal brief. The case was won! Mary was invited to be a special guest at two global conferences on love and forgiveness by the Fetzer Institute in Assisi, Italy, and Aman, Jordan, where she met with the Prince of Jordan. She also met President Barack Obama who praised and thanked her for her service. She received many awards and recognitions for her work, including KARE 11's "Eleven Who Care" award, and was honored as a "Hero Among Us" by People Magazine. Her inspiring story was also featured in the acclaimed documentary Risking Light and the book Beyond Belief. Links to these stories and more can be found on the From Death to Life page of St Jane House website: www.stjanehouse.org/mary-johnson-roy-legacy Mary met Ed Roy when she shared her story at his church, Joint Heirs with Christ, in August of 2006. As a father who had recently lost his only son to homicide, Mary knew his pain and offered him support through his grief journey. After nearly 10 years of walking beside one another as friends, they realized their feelings ran deeper and Ed asked for her hand in marriage. On January 3, 2015, Mary and Ed were married at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis, where Mary was working as a family liaison at the adjoining PYC School. Oshea and Mary's brother Otis walked her down the aisle. Theirs was a love story that neither could have predicted. In marrying Ed, their families were joined as one, and Mary reveled in being "Mama Mary" to Ed's seven daughters and many grandchildren. She and Ed enjoyed leading bible studies in their home for their family and hosting movie nights with the grandkids. Mary transformed her unfathomable pain and loss into light and love for her city and the world. While her good work and generous act of forgiveness have been acknowledged and applauded by many, Mary consistently remained humble, giving all the glory to her God. She was treasured by the mothers who found healing in her loving embrace as well as others who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her. In late 2020, Mary was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Over the course of her illness, Mary continued her ministry to the mothers with her friend Regina Irwin at her side. In May of 2023, Mary and Ed courageously went public about Mary's health journey in a Star Tribune story, continuing to teach and inspire others. On January 3, 2024, they celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. In mid-February Mary's health took a dramatic turn and she entered hospice at home where she was lovingly cared for by Ed, his daughter Kesa, and North Memorial's hospice team. Family members and close friends enjoyed visits with her during this sacred time. On the evening of March 27, 2024 at 6:54pm, Mary went home to her God, with her beloved husband Ed at her side-keeping their vows to one another until the very end. In addition to Ed, Mary is survived by her siblings, Otis Mays, Mildred Martin, and Leola Kirk; granddaughter Rosalynda Boykin, great granddaughter Za'Riyah Boykin; "spiritual son" Oshea Israel; Ed's daughters Quiana, Kesa, Leelah, Lisa, Carrie, Lesandia and Kyla; and 32 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by parents Ester and Otis Mays, son Laramiun Lamont Byrd, Ed's son Mandel Lee Guy Roy and grandson Devonté Rashawn Coppage, and granddaughter Leila Pearson-Agenou. A celebration of Mary's life will take place at 11am on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at Shiloh Temple in North Minneapolis with a visitation an hour before. A public visitation will also take place at Shiloh on Friday, April 12 from 5pm - 7pm. The service will be livestreamed around the world. Mayor Jacob Frey will declare April 13 as "Mary Johnson-Roy Day" in the City of Minneapolis. Location Shiloh Temple International Ministries 1201 West Broadway Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55411 (612) 302-1463 Visitation Friday, April 12, 2024 Family - 4pm - 5pm Public - 5pm - 7pm Celebration of Life Saturday, April 13, 2024 Family viewing - 9am - 10am Visitation for public - 10am - 11am Service - 11am - 1pm Repass - immediately following the service A private interment at Crystal Lake Cemetery will take place at a later date. A livestream of the service will be available on Shiloh Temple International Ministries' YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@BishopRichardDHowellJr If you are so inspired, we encourage you to wear the colors of Mary's From Death to Life organization: red, white and black. Memorials The Mary Johnson-Roy Legacy Fund has been created to support her on-going legacy through a variety of projects that honor her story and advance her important work in the world of restorative justice, healing, and forgiveness. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to this fund. Checks made out to the fund may be brought to the church or sent to the St Jane House at 1403 Emerson Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN, 55411 Donations can be made online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support4mary-johnson-roy

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Mary Lou Johnson-Roy

May 14, 1952 - March 27, 2024

Tributes

Mary Lou Johnson-Roy

May 14, 1952 - March 27, 2024

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