Obituary of Pearl Johnson

Pearl Johnson, 85, formerly of Clifton Park, New York, passed away on Monday, October 26, 2020 at the Eddy Village Green in Cohoes. The family will have a private memorial service and interment at a later date at Memory Gardens, 983 Watervliet-Shaker Road, Albany, NY. Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home of Clifton Park will be handling the cremation arrangements. Pearl was born in Casey County, Kentucky to Bertha Thomas Yocum Baker and Jesse Mariam Baker on July 27, 1935. She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Niskayuna, NY with her childhood sweetheart and husband, William Anthony Halker, Jr. They had three daughters together: Kimberly, Lea Ann and Sandra. After William’s passing Pearl married widower Edward H. Johnson with three children of his own: Deborah, Kenneth and Cheryl. The blended family moved to Latham, NY in 1968, welcoming son Christopher in 1971. Pearl worked tirelessly to raise her large family. At fifty years of age, Pearl proudly earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education at Hudson Valley Community College.Pearl loved working with children and relished her years as an Educational Assistant with BOCES in Albany and Schenectady. She retired in 1995. During her active life Pearl was a member of the Niskayuna Reform Church, and later, when she moved to Saratoga County became a member of Christ Community Church in Clifton Park. She was an avid volunteer working with the Girl Scouts and the Cub Scouts in Latham, the Troy chapter of RID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers) and the Troy Literacy Volunteers.In addition, she gave her time to the Albany chapter of the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and the ALS Foundation. Pearl Johnson is survived by her beloved children Deborah A. Nash (Terry) of Plattsburgh, NY, Kimberly D. Niforos (George) of Ballston Spa, NY, Cheryl L. Johnson (James Donaghy) of Bridgewater, CT, Lea Ann Richards of Fair Lawn, NJ, Sandra L. Leslie (Jonathan) of Newton, NJ, Christopher E. Johnson (Nicole) of Clifton Park, and Laurie Gordon Johnson, spouse of the late Kenneth A. Johnson of Bridgehampton, NY, her sister Bonnie Taylor of Mason, Ohio, her brother Ronald Baker of Cincinatti, Ohio, her grandchildren Jessica Bickoff, Andrea Kirchoff, Kenna Nash, Brian Leslie, Alexandra Leslie, Benjamin H. Richards, Evan Johnson, Charlotte Johnson, her great-grandchildren Matthew Bickoff, Ryan Bickoff, Francis Kirchoff, Pearl Kirchoff , Charlotte Nash Romero and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Jessie and Bertha Baker, her siblings, Vernon Baker, Raymond Baker, Lyda Herzog, Christine Baker, and Eugene Baker, her first husband, William A. Halker, Jr., her second husband, Edward H. Johnson, her son, Kenneth A. Johnson, and her close companion, Thomas Town of Clifton Park, NY. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the staff at the Eddy Village Green in Cohoes, NY, Dr. Mina Sun and her staff at Loving Home for Mom or Dad in Rexford, NY and to the staff at Beacon Pointe Memory Care in Clifton Park, NY. Please feel free to Add Condolences or Share a Memory by using the tabs on this website.