Lela Mae Johnson

Lela Mae Blount Johnson, affectionately known as "Peaches" to those who knew her best, embarked on her final journey with grace and tranquility on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Merrita, Georgia. Born on a sunny day in Panama City, Florida, on Wednesday, February 2, 1955, Peaches's life was a tapestry woven with the vibrant threads of love, friendship, and kindness. Today, we celebrate a life well-lived, a legacy of warmth, and the enduring impact she made on all who were blessed to cross her path.

Peaches's early years were spent under the nurturing Florida sun, where she developed a foundation of strong family values and community spirit. The Muscogee County Public Schools cradled her academic curiosity, culminating in her proud graduation from Kendrick High School with the class of 1973 in Columbus, Georgia. Education was a cornerstone of her life, a beacon that guided her in nurturing her own children and the generations that followed.

Her journey through life was marked by connections that blossomed into enduring relationships. Peaches's gentle spirit and friendly demeanor were like a magnet, drawing people into her orbit and holding them there with her loving nature. She was a testament to the power of a warm smile and a kind word, embodying the belief that the simplest acts of kindness ripple through eternity.

Family was the compass that directed Peaches's life. She is lovingly remembered by her son, Marcus Tyree Blount, who carries her strength and compassion forward. Her brother, Homer Mitchell, and sister, Jacklyn McCloud, share in the rich tapestry of memories, along with her aunts and uncle, Henry Moore, Sr., Marvie Jones, Arlene Walter, Bertha Johnson, and Dorothy Banks, who will fondly recall her laughter echoing through family gatherings. Peaches's love lives on in the hearts of her seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, each a sparkling star in her expansive sky.

While Peaches has joined her beloved parents, Solomon Blount and Eva Blount Norphard, her son Thaddeous Jones, and two brothers, Ora Mitchell (Martha) and Leroy Mitchell, in a place of peace, her spirit remains a guiding light for her devoted goddaughter, Andrea Bowman. Her nieces, nephews, cousins, and a multitude of sorrowing friends will continue to feel her presence in every gentle breeze and the soft whisper of the wind through the pines.

In celebrating the life of Lela Mae Blount Johnson, let us not dwell on the sorrow of her departure, but rather embrace the joy she brought into our lives. Let us honor her memory by embodying her loving, gentle, and friendly nature. Let us be the bearers of her legacy, spreading love and kindness wherever we go, just as Peaches did every day of her remarkable life.

Today, as we bid farewell to a soul who has touched so many, let us remember that in the fabric of time, Peaches's thread is woven in gold, shimmering with the love she shared and the lives she brightened. Her story does not end here, for in each of us, her story continues—a narrative of love that knows no bounds.

Farewell, dear Peaches, your journey here is complete, but your spirit soars, and your love endures. You have taught us the beauty of a life well-lived, and for that, we are eternally grateful.