Eurise J. Johnson

Eurise was born on January 4, 1939, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  She was the eldest of five children born to the late Leonie Juanita Joseph. Her father was Hugo Joseph. Eurise often shared her memories of life in the Virgin Islands butwas most proud of her exodus to Northern Illinois University (NIU) where she obtained a Bachelor of Education degree. To fit in and not be classified as an "international" student at the university, she worked hard to acquire the "kings English" as she called it and quickly lost her Caribbean accent. Anyone that spoke with Eurise couldn't ignore her precise diction and recall of the English language.

In the sixties, while attending NIU, Eurise and several other African American young women chartered a chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA). The university, in DeKalb, IL had a very small black presence and few predominantly black organizations on campus. They began as an interest group (Tau Delta Sigma established in 1959) and were later granted the designation of Delta Omicron chapter, Northern Illinois University in 1960. This chapter of AKA exists today and Eurise will always be in the history books as one of the chapter's founding members. She ultimately was a member of the sorority for 62 years and was considered a "Golden Soror"!

Shortly after obtaining a Bachelor of Education degree, Eurise would again apply her keen intellect to obtain a Master of Library Science degree from Wayne State University and spent the latter part of her career as a high school librarian. In the early 2000's, Eurise retired from the Detroit Board of Education after approximately 40+ years and spent the winters roaming the warmer climates of the United States in an RV with her husband, Ulysses, of 48 years.

While at NIU, Eurise met Ulysses Johnson (US), they fell in love and after graduation were married in his parent's home in Chicago, IL. This intercepted her plans to obtain her teaching degree and return to St. Thomas to teach. Instead, they moved to Wichita, KS where US was stationed in the US Air Force and Eurise began her teaching career. From this union, they had a daughter Cathleen (Cathy).

In the seventies the family relocated to Michigan where Eurise joined the Detroit Board of Education serving first as a business teacher (typing and shorthand) then a librarian (media specialist), which she enjoyed during the second half of her career. She retired from Western International High School in Detroit, MI and had very fond memories of working on the prom committee and with all the students and staff she interacted with daily. She also continued her membership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and was last active with Eta Iota Omega chapter of Inkster, MI.

Eurise's husband passed away in 2009 and her heart and mind seemed to break. She spent the next 15 years suffering with dementia and passed away peacefully in Lansing, MI. She leaves to cherish her memory: a daughter, Cathleen (Bruce); a granddaughter, Bayley; brothers Ari (Lisa) and Alaric (Ezra); and a host of nephews, nieces, sisters-in-law, cousins and friends.