Norita Dawn Johnson

Norita Johnson, 90, passed away unexpectedly on June 24 after a fall. Norita was born to Charlie and Floy (Miner) Brey on September 11, 1935. In 1950, when she was a 15-year-old sophomore playing the baritone in her high school marching band, she set her sights on the skinny, 18-year-old drum major, Bob Johnson. Over the next six years, which included his time in the Korean War, she proposed to him 5 times. He finally took the hint and they shared the most beautiful marriage from 1957 until his death in 2020. A life-long learner, Norita earned her AA in Accounting from Normandale Community College in 1993 while working in her favorite industry, banking. In fact, except for a 12-year gap after her two daughters were born, Norita worked full or part time in banks from the age of 17 until her first attempt at retirement at 60, followed by her successful attempt at 65. Before and after retirement, her passions were music and travel. She continued to play that baritone in various community and church orchestras from the early '80s until about 2022, and she and Bob (sometimes accompanied by their daughters) traveled the country and the world. She and Bob also attended countless art fairs and concerts in the upper Midwest. Norita and Bob lived in a rambler with a manicured back yard in Bloomington for 47 years before moving to Applewood Pointe in 2010, where Norita hit the ground running. She chaired the Communications Committee for 9 years, and was a writer and editor of the Apple InCsider newsletter. Her favorite "assignment" was interviewing fellow residents for the "Meet Your Neighbor" column. She took pride in being able to distribute Board messages and Committee minutes via her cell phone. True to being a life-long learner, she joined the Technology Committee in her late 80s so she could keep up to date on computers, cell phones, TVs, etc., and then pass that knowledge along. Norita was preceded in death by her precious Bob and her best kitty Benjamin, as well as her sister Arlene Ebert and niece Diane Kamps. She is survived by daughters Deb (Jim) Zurales and Susan Johnson, grandchildren Jeanie and Tom Zurales, and niece Sharon Wein. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, July 29 at the Washburn McReavy Bloomington Chapel, with Visitation at 10 a.m.

Norita Dawn Johnson

September 11, 1935 - June 24, 2026

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