Shirley Ann Johnson

Shirley Ann Johnson, 66, of Charlottesville, VA, left her earthly bonds on June 10th, at her home in Belmont. She was born on August 1st, 1958, to Hoover Morris and Rose Ella Morris. Shirley was the second-born of six siblings. She spent some of her early years at her Belmont home, which was then the home of her grandmother Lilly Mae Dunivan Sprouse, but was raised primarily in Bacon Hollow. Married at 16, Shirley found her way to New York for a time but returned to the Hollow, divorced, by 26. Surprised by the arrival of a son in 1985, Shirley fought, tooth and nail, to provide the best life that she could for herself and her only child. After moving around occasionally over the next 17 years, she settled into her Belmont home in 2003 with the blessing of her father and the help of her family.

Shirley was preceded in death by her firstborn brother, Henry Wilson “Junior” Morris; her firstborn granddaughter, Madeline Ann “Maddie” Johnson; and her mother, Rose Ella “Poochie” Morris.

Shirley is survived by her; father, Hoover “Buck” Morris; brother, Lynn Marvin Morris and wife Sandy; sister, Sandra Mae Hicks and husband, Bobby “Chip”; brother, Richard Franklin Morris.

Brother Chester Allen “Buckwheat” Morris and wife, Elizabeth; son, Brandon Lee Johnson and wife, Summer; and grandchildren Ella Rose Johnson and Walker Lee Johnson.

Shirley was a deeply loved person who didn’t always see herself as worthy of love. Yet, she made an oversized impression on those who met her, despite her tiny frame. She inherited a special knack with people from her father, but never could understand or accept her shine. Shirley cherished her family through the lowest valleys and the highest peaks of life and found a renewed passion for life after her grandchildren came. She requested and proudly wore the title of Meemaw, and the greatest days in recent memory were the best kinds of days with Meemaw and her grandbabies cutting up and getting into trouble together. There are innumerable things that we will miss about Shirley: her humor, her cornbread, porch swing talks, her macaroni salad, late night chats, her obsession with hummingbirds, but most of all, we’ll miss her fierce and, sometimes, overwhelming love.

Arrangements are entrusted to Batten Funeral Home of Ruckersville, Virginia.

An online guestbook is available at www.battenfuneral.com for those wishing to share memories or offer condolences. Your kind words will bring comfort and strength to the family during this time.