Each year, the San Diego County Flower & Plant Association awards scholarships to qualified students to promote the long-term development and success of the horticulture industry.
The Marilu Johnson Memorial Scholarship honors my grandmother and is awarded to deserving students whose pursuit in horticulture will benefit the nursery industry as a whole.
Marilu served as an executive secretary of the San Diego County Floral and Plant Association for 20 years. During those years Marilu turned her passion into blooms nationwide Read the story here. .
In 2001, the name of the scholarship fund was dedicated to my grandmother, Marilu Johnson, the year she passed into Heaven. Marilu Johnson was one of my very best friends, she had known me since birth and we lived together most of our lives. My grandmother was known for her love of flowers and birds. Her kindness and compassion towards others was unparalleled. She always had a smile on her face (with lipstick) and touched the hearts of everyone she met. The Marilu Johnson Scholarship Fund will help continue her legacy of inspiring others.
Marilu Johnson was my “Granna”
She’s been described as “Mary Poppins and Mother Teresa all wrapped up in one.”
She was always ready to listen, to hear your story and was a very good friend to many.
Did you know?
Marilu was BEAUTIFUL, inside and out. She was never seen without lipstick and her hair done. She often said it only took 5 minutes to freshen up. Many people think she looks like Lauren Becall.
Marilu has 3 children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild (updated 3/2024)
Marilu was a sheriff in LA County circa 1958. She worked at Terminal Island Women’s Jail. She was a sharpshooter and had loaded guns in the home at all times. (I was never as good of a shot.)
Marilu loved to body surf. The week she passed we went to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. The beach is blocks away from the San Diego Flower and Plant Association office on D Street, where she worked for years. She walked purposefully to the shore and dove face-first into the ocean with her lipstick and swimming cap on.
I feel Granna’s spirit with me every day, she is my angel. As I continue to chase my butterfly dreams with Wings of Change, I know that she inspired me then and continues to now with all the lessons she taught me. I will cherish the memories of time spent with her in our home and garden. Her love for flowers, plants, birds, and the earth was extraordinary. Her love for her family was unparalleled.
I learned about this scholarship in 2024, 23 years after my Granna left this world. I received a text from my son’s high school encouraging applicants to apply for the scholarship dedicated to her honor. (Her birthdate is 7/23). I love numbers and how we knew about this 23 years after she passed baffles me. I am inspired to help further her legacy and inspire others in the floriculture industry.