Obituary: Bernice Dail Johnson
Bernice Dail Johnson
May 25, 1933 – March 20, 2025
Goldsboro-Bernice Dail Johnson, 91, was graciously received into the presence of her Lord on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Born in Greene County on May 25, 1933, she was the youngest child of Thomas and Leflie Faulkner Dail. Finding rest with those who have gone on before her, Bernice was reunited with her beloved husband, Wilber “Bill” Bruce Johnson; her son, Brian Keith Johnson; her parents; and all her siblings.
Employed early on in Kinston with the H.L. Green five and dime store, Bernice later began work at the Jerrose Shirt Factory. When the company opened another location in Virginia, she was asked to serve in the new location, so she and Bill moved their family to Petersburg. Following Bill’s call to ministry in the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the family again relocated to Northern Virginia where Bernice started a new job with Texaco Oil Company. She was employed for 18 years with Texaco before she began work with Mobil Oil, completing a total of 28 years in the industry. During her career, her sharp mind and strong work ethic was invaluable and helped her achieve the position of data manager and contract administrator for the companies. Always staying on the cutting edge of technology, Bernice was often sent for specialized training to further her career and add to the success of the companies she served.
With Bill’s pastoral ordination, Bernice’s genuine spirit and warm personality made her the perfect pastor’s wife. Always eager to strike up a conversation, she could instantly turn an acquaintance…or even a stranger, into a friend. Her warmth and kindness was a welcomed gift offered to many throughout her life, as her listening ear and caring heart ranked her as a motherly figure among many.
With a great love of flowers, Bernice maintained beautiful flower gardens along with a large collection of African violets. Spending time in her flowers and watching the birds in the yard were simple yet meaningful moments for her as she basked in the beauty of God’s nature.
With an insatiable love for shoes, Bernice always had the perfect pair to match whatever she chose to wear. While her collection of pocketbooks wasn’t nearly as large as her shoe inventory, she always seemed to find the perfect one to match her attire.
Possessing a fondness for antiques and collectibles, she was always on the hunt for antique glass or antique dolls to add to her collection. Finding solace in the quiet moments at home, Bernice could often be found browsing through her favorite magazines or listening to the sounds of the Gaither Homecoming series.
Above all, family was at the heart of Bernice’s world. She was deeply devoted to her husband, an adamant supporter and encourager of her children, and maintained strong connections with her extended family no matter the distance that separated them. In Bill’s later years and declining health, she was his soul caregiver, living out her wedding vows both faithfully and lovingly. Her family encompassed more than the bounds of kinship, as she welcomed all into her heart with a genuine love.
A service of love and remembrance will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at Rouse Funeral Home with Pastor Allen Ham officiating. The family will receive friends in the hour prior to service. Committal will follow at Maplewood Cemetery in Kinston.
Bernice is survived by her children, Deborah J. Grubby and husband, Dennis, Wilber Bruce Johnson, Jr. and wife, Peggy, Hope Ashworth and husband, Clay, Sharon-Darlene Graham, and Cindy Grant and husband, Gary; grandchildren, Jessica Johnson, Jeremiah Johnson and wife, Laura, Adam Johnson, Amie Nelson and husband, Carl, Ace Ashworth, Brittney Graham, Nicholas Teschner, and Hannah Johnson; 13 great-grandchildren; along with many beloved nieces and nephews and a multitude of friends.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.rousefh.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Rouse Funeral Home, La Grange.
