Dr. Marion M Johnson

Survived by her husband, Bill Johnson; children, India Leigh (Randy) Mitchell, Lisa Jayne (Douglas) Babbitt, Robert William (Kristin) Johnson and Mark Douglas (Jill) Johnson; 9 grandchildren, Kara, Jack, Will, McKenzie, Camryn, Faith, Hailey, Corah, Jordan and Nicole; five brothers and sister and the many students that she taught.



Marian was born in Cowlington, Oklahoma to Grady and Edna Clyma, spending most of her childhood in Kansas. She married William Eugene Johnson on June 5, 1954 and they had four children together. Throughout their life, she and Bill lived in New England, the Southwest, and Mexico, finally settling with their family in the Midwest. Marion received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Kansas in 1954, a Master of Arts in 1980, and Doctor of Philosophy in 1988, from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

After raising her children, she became a faculty member at the University of Nebraska at both Omaha and Lincoln campuses for thirteen years. She spent her career teaching the appreciation and advancement of art and interior design. Her master’s thesis and doctorate both involved the design of living spaces for the elderly. She was asked to present her research to the Interior Design Educator’s Council on the subject. She taught courses in design, perspective drawing, color theory, interior design and historic European interiors. She led several domestic and foreign study tours, including Chicago, Kansas City, London and Paris .

Marion was a huge supporter of American Society of Interior Designers, or ASID. During her time as an instructor at the University, she coordinated and guided efforts for a student chapter. Participating in the ASID Designer Show houses, allowed students to work alongside professional designers and broaden their education. One project her student chapter worked on was published nationally in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. Marion was awarded the Presidential Citation from ASID in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1999 and 2006 when she retired from ASID. The Presidential award is presented for a lifetime of distinguished service to the society and the profession.

Following her University career, she spent 14 years at her studios in Omaha, Nebraska and Sunrise Beach, Missouri as a professional artist. She created architectural renderings of houses and buildings along with her personal favorite, watercolor portraits. Her drawings of the Symphony/ASID Designer Showhouses appeared on the cover of Omaha Magazine and she was honored to paint the portrait of former mayor P.J. Morgan. She was widely known for her interior room renderings in the Omaha World Herald “By Design” series.

Her work with ASID and as an artist allowed her to help raise funds for many community projects, including silent auction donations for the Creighton Prep Bash, the American Heart Association, the YMCA, St Vincent De Paul, Brownell Talbot, Sprint Husker Preview events, Omaha Symphony, ASID Designer Showhouse and the Stephen Center.