In Loving Memory
Betty Jean Johnson
December 22, 1960 – December 11, 2019
From the Organizer
My name is Joanna Marie, and I am proud to call Betty Jean Johnson one of my dearest friends and confidants. When I moved to Bartlett back in 2001, Betty Jean was one of the first people to make me feel truly welcomed — not just as a neighbor, but as a lifelong friend.
A Woman Who Served Her Community
Betty Jean dedicated years of her life to the United States Postal Service in Bartlett, Illinois, where she rose to a supervisory position — a role she carried with the same warmth and grace she brought to everything she did.
But what truly set Betty Jean apart wasn't her title — it was her heart. She had an extraordinary and rare gift: she remembered everyone. Names, faces, birthdays — nothing escaped her loving attention. She made it a point to know the name and birthday of every child who came through those post office doors, and she would quietly set aside a special piece of candy or a little treat, ready and waiting for them on or near their special day.
To the children of Bartlett, she was magic. To the adults, she was a trusted friend and confidant. To her colleagues, she was a leader who led with kindness. Betty Jean didn't just serve her community through her work — she made every single person feel seen, remembered, and valued.
Why This GoFundMe
Betty Jean passed away on December 11, 2019 — just weeks before COVID-19 changed the world and robbed so many of us of the chance to gather and grieve together. The memorial she deserved never happened the way it should have.
This campaign is about fulfilling a shared wish — held by Betty Jean herself and by the many friends, neighbors, former colleagues, and community members whose lives she touched — to see her permanently memorialized with a park bench in Bartlett, a peaceful shaded place where anyone who loved her can come to sit, remember, and feel her presence.
The Memorial
Through the official Bartlett Park District "Park A Memory" Donation Program, we are raising funds for a memorial bench with a dedication plaque — placed in a shaded spot in her honor.
Memorial bench with plaque: $1,000–$1,400
Alternate: Memorial tree with plaque if needed: $375–$450
Our goal of $1,500 fully covers the bench and plaque, with any remaining funds going toward a small community dedication gathering in her honor.
Verifying This Campaign
I welcome anyone who wishes to verify this effort to message me directly through this GoFundMe page. I will gladly provide my personal contact number so we can speak. This is a genuine tribute to an extraordinary woman who spent her career and her life making the people of Bartlett feel at home.
Please Share
If you knew Betty Jean — as a neighbor, a postal customer, a colleague, or a friend — please share this page. And if you simply believe that people who give their lives to a community deserve to be remembered in it, please share this too. Help us give Betty Jean the lasting tribute she wished for and so richly earned.
"Forever and always in our hearts."
— Betty Jean Johnson, December 22, 1960 – December 11, 2019
Supervisor, United States Postal Service — Bartlett, Illinois
Organized by Joanna Marie, friend and neighbor since 2001