Evelyn Grace Johnson was born on June 7, 1951, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Harold and Ruth Ann Simmons. From her earliest years, Evelyn was known for her joyful spirit and her gift for music. She sang in the church choir before she could read the words, and music remained the language of her soul for the rest of her life. Evelyn graduated from Belmont University in 1973 with a degree in Music Education and spent twenty-six years teaching choir and general music at Hillsboro High School. She directed the school's award-winning choral program, leading students to state competition titles in 1988, 1994, and 2001. Former students still speak of the way she saw potential in every voice and refused to let anyone believe they couldn't sing. She married Charles Robert Johnson in 1975, and together they raised three children in a home where music was always playing and the door was always open. Evelyn was a founding member of the Harmony Circle women's ensemble at Cornerstone Church, where she worshipped for over forty years. She organized the church's annual Christmas concert, a beloved community tradition that drew hundreds of attendees each December. In her retirement, Evelyn volunteered with the Nashville Children's Chorus, led a weekly music therapy session at a local memory care facility, and spent her mornings in prayer and her evenings with her grandchildren. She faced her illness with grace, gratitude, and the unshakeable certainty that the best was yet to come. Evelyn Grace Johnson was called home on August 1, 2026. She was 75 years old. Her voice is silent here, but we believe it has joined a greater chorus.

Hobbies & interests

Directing and performing choral music; attending Nashville Symphony concerts; volunteering with the Nashville Children's Chorus; leading weekly music therapy sessions at Sunrise Memory Care; gardening; reading biographies of composers and musicians

Survived by

Her husband, Charles Robert Johnson; three children: Lauren Johnson-Briggs (Scott) of Nashville, TN, Andrew Charles Johnson (Megan) of Franklin, TN, and Bethany Johnson-Cruz (Rafael) of Memphis, TN; seven grandchildren; and her sister, Carol Simmons-Hale of Knoxville, TN.

Preceded in death by

Her parents, Harold and Ruth Ann Simmons; her brother, Gary Simmons; and her dear friend and fellow choir member, Patricia Owens.