Rosalie V. Johnson

Dr. Rosalie Voigt Johnson, a 7-year resident of Alexandria, VA, died Thursday the 12th of January 2017 at the Hermitage Healthcare Center.

Born in 1934 in Charleston, S.C., Rosalie received a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medicine from Wesleyan College in 1956. She continued her education at Emory University Medical School,  from which she received her M.D. in 1960. She was one of three women in a class of over 70.

Since the age of 12, Rosalie knew that she wanted to be a medical missionary and dedicate her life to helping others. She lived her dream with her husband of 59 years, Dr. Morgan Johnson, and went to Zimbabwe (then called Rhodesia) in 1961. She served as a volunteer doctor at Old Mutare Centre and often the only doctor for miles. Her work included visiting village clinics in remote rural districts.

Due to Rosalie and Morgan’s involvement with the freedom struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence from white minority rule, including visits to political detention camps at Gonakudzingwa and Hwahwa, in addition to Morgan’s political cartoons printed in their church paper, Umbowo, they were deported by the Ian Smith regime in 1975. Along with their five children, they returned to the U.S. for one year.

In 1976, the family returned to Zambia to be close to Zimbabwe. Rosalie continued to serve as a doctor in Zambian government hospitals in Livingstone and Kitwe. Six years later, the Johnson family was invited back to Zimbabwe after the country gained its independence from Great Britain and white minority rule. Rosalie again served as the only doctor at Old Mutare.  In 1991, Rosalie and Morgan retired from their service in Zimbabwe and returned to Atlanta, GA where they both spent their childhood. However, because Rosalie was not ready to retire, she served as a doctor at Grady Memorial’s AIDS clinic in Atlanta for ten years. When Rosalie finally retired in 2001, she and Morgan moved to the Washington, DC area to be nearer to their children. In 2009, they moved to the Hermitage retirement community. Rosalie continued volunteer work during her retirement on a number of human rights and social justice issues for eleven years until she became ill in 2012.

Rosalie was a true testament to a life of service for over 50 years. She touched so many lives through her determination, love, and care. Her deep-rooted commitment and principles for equality, human rights, social justice, and a devotion to her church and family brought courage and inspiration to everyone around her.

Rosalie is survived by her husband and best friend, Reverend Dr. Morgan Johnson, and their children and grandchildren: Linda Johnson, her husband Paul Baumgartner, and their children, Morgan and Maya Baumgartner; Mary Johnson and her children, Khalila and Dyani Douze, and their father Claude Douze; Michael Johnson, his wife Selina Phiri Johnson, and their child Tionge Phiri Johnson; Tendai Johnson, his wife Hoa Tran, and their child Fadzi Tran Johnson; Chido Johnson; and her sister, Peggy Phipps.

A memorial service will be held at Fairlington United Methodist Church, 3900 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302, on Saturday, February 11 at 1 pm. A reception will follow at the Hermitage, 5000 Fairbanks Ave, Alexandria, VA 22311. On Wednesday, February 8, another memorial service will be held at the Hermitage for residents and the staff who took such great care of her.