Retired Library Director of the Bloomfield Public Library
Loving Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother
Dorothy Mae Eadie Johnson, 96, passed away in Boynton Beach, FL, on October 14, 2025. Dorothy was the loving daughter of the late George and Evelyn Dunn Eadie and the beloved wife of David Alvah Johnson, who predeceased her in 2018. She grew up in Bloomfield and lived there for her entire life before moving to Florida. Throughout the years, she was surrounded by her loving parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends. Dorothy and David celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on May 23, 2017. In 1949, while attending Douglass College in New Brunswick, NJ, she was invited to join the Canterbury Club at Christ Church, where she met her beloved David, a student at Rutgers University. She graduated with a B.A. and later received an MLS from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Library Service.
Mrs. Johnson was a dedicated member and Past President of the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), where she was a lifetime member and a charter member of the Reference Section. She also chaired the Public Programs for NJLA’s 100th Anniversary and was honored as an Honorary Life Member of the American Library Association. After 42 years of service, Dorothy retired as the Director of the Bloomfield Public Library, and in recognition of her contributions, the Board of Trustees honored her by renaming the reference room “The Dorothy E. Johnson Reference Room.”
Active in her community for many years, Dorothy was an integral part of Bloomfield. On May 21, 1974, she was honored by the Bloomfield Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) with a Fellowship Grant named in her honor for her distinguished service to the community. A cradle Episcopalian, she served on the Vestry at the Church of the Advent in Bloomfield and was an active parishioner at Christ Episcopal Church, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge, where she was also a member of the Vestry and the Episcopal Church Women. Additionally, she served as Past Worthy Matron of Bloomfield Chapter #76, now Nutley Chapter #121, Order of the Eastern Star of New Jersey. In June 2002, Dorothy and her husband, David, were honored by the Episcopal Diocese of Newark with the David Paul Hegg II Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions to the Episcopal Church and the community.
Dorothy was deeply saddened by the sudden death of her beloved husband, David A. Johnson, in February 2018 while they were vacationing in Delray, FL. She is survived by her loving sons, Douglas and his wife, Lisa Johnson, and Daniel Johnson; her devoted daughter-in-law, Debra Johnson, wife of her deceased son Donald, who predeceased her in 2017; six cherished grandchildren, Trevor, Cassidy, and Austin Johnson, Michele Astone, Melissa Caporale, and Jennifer Riggs; as well as great-grandchildren, a cherished cousin, Peggy Eadie Jaggar, a beloved niece, Patricia Ludwig, a nephew, Bill Kern, and a niece, Donna Zalinsky Rumelhart, daughter of her beloved cousin Muriel Eadie Zalinsky, who predeceased Dorothy in 2014.
Dorothy loved her family dearly and cherished the many celebrations they shared together, from birthdays to holidays, always bringing joy and warmth to those around her. Her legacy of love, service, and dedication will continue to inspire all who knew her.
Visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00PM, Tuesday October 21, 2025 at the O’Boyle Funeral Home, located at 309 Broad St, Bloomfield. Members of the Eastern Star will conduct services in the evening. Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral service at Christ Episcopal Church, Bloomfield/ Glen Ridge, at 10AM on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, followed by interment at Glendale Cemetery, 28 Hoover Ave., Bloomfield. Please express condolences at www.oboylefuneralhome.com
About the Author
