Louise Johnson

Obituary Louise Johnson, 86, of Morehead City, passed away on Sunday, December 25, 2022, at the Crystal Coast Hospice House in Newport. Louise B. Johnson- November 1936 to December 25, 2022 A sunset gathering is planned for a Spring 2023 celebration of life in St. Thomas with any who cares to join us. Louise was born in Chicago in 1936 to Frank and Muriel Bible of Oak Park, IL. She met her first husband, Richard "Dick" Holmberg while attending college at Lake Forest in Illinois. She married Dick Holmberg in 1958 and agreed to honeymoon with him in St. Thomas where he had served in submarines in the US Navy in the 1950s. Dick wanted her to fall in love with the islands as he had, so he insisted on flying only to Puerto Rico, and then hitching a ride to St. Thomas on a native sloop, so that Louise would first see St. Thomas from the sea by sailing into the harbor. Dick had earlier applied for a job with the Navy in St. Thomas, so while there on honeymoon, he went and knocked on the door to "check on his job application". He impressed them enough to get hired as the airport manager, and Louise and Dick settled in St. Thomas and lived in Navy housing at Lindberg Bay. Soon after Louise gave birth at Knud Hansen Memorial Hospital to two sons, John, and then Peter Holmberg. The family was joined by Nellie Boyles, and her two young children Dennis and Diane, from St. Kitts, who helped raise the four kids into their teens. Louise fell in love with the water and taught the kids to swim soon after they could walk. Swimming lessons in Lindbergh Bay with Ann Clark soon followed. In exchange for free entry to Magens Bay, Louise would also teach swimming to local boys and girls. Louise and Dick became interested in sailing and started in Sailfish and Sunfish at Sapphire Beach, where they taught their two boys to sail at 3 and 4 years old. Soon after the St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) was started in Cowpet Bay and Dick, Louise, and the kids became very active in sailing. It was a very special time for the growth of sailing in the Virgin Islands and great sailors from around the world would attend local regattas. Louise won many races and in 1971 traveled to Venezuela to compete in the 2nd Sunfish World Championships, where she became the Womans Sunfish World Champion. She continued to race back in the VI and also crewed on bigger boats throughout the Caribbean as that racing grew popular. Louise re-married to Richard "Dick" Johnson, also a renowned sailor, in 1976. They operated Red Hook Agencies Insurance and traveled the world extensively for insurance and sailing events. They built a second home in Newport, NC and would travel back and forth to St. Thomas. Dick Johnson passed away in 2005 and Louises sons John and Peter have looked after her since. She continued to love her St. Thomas home and her regular swims at Lindquist Beach. Louise is survived by her brother Bill Bible and his family in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, her two sons John and Peter, her grandchildren, Kayla Dittrich and Kai Holmberg, and many friends and their families. Louise chose to be cremated and have her ashes scattered alongside her late husbands in the clear waters of the USVI. In lieu of flowers or donations, Louise would love it most if you would take time to appreciate and share in the waters, natural beauty, and the people of our Virgin Islands. These things gave her the most wonderful and adventurous life she could ever have dreamed of. Fair Winds and Following Seas to a wonderful Soul. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Louise (Bible) Johnson