Sue Ellen Johnson

Sue Ellen Johnson, of Hastings, Michigan, passed away peacefully on October 27, 2025, at the age of 77. She was born on March 26, 1948, in Charlotte, Michigan, the daughter of Robert and Beverly (Rogers) Dies.

Sue was a 1966 graduate of Portland High School.  She married Jerry Johnson (deceased), with whom she shared 14 years of marriage before divorcing in 1980. She worked for nearly 40 years at Hastings Manufacturing, retiring in 2010. In the late 1980s, she proudly served her community as a volunteer firefighter with the Lake Odessa Fire Department.  After moving to Hastings, she reconnected with her faith and became a member of St. Rose of Lima Church where she found peace and purpose in her later years.

She was a hardworking woman who never had anything handed to her, she had to fight for every bit of what she had.  Life gave her more than her fair share of hard knocks, and she faced them head on. She cherished her family deeply and navigated the challenges of a blended family with her own kind of love.

She was preceded in death by her parents; ex-husband, Jerry Johnson; sister, Patricia (Dies) Smith; brothers Roger Dies and Thomas Dies; sister-in-law Twana Dies; and brother-in-law Roger Smith.

Sue is survived by her sister, Lorrie (James) Dean; daughters, Brenda and Michelle Johnson; grandchildren Brandon (Morgan) Johnson, Joshua (Merissa) Johnson, Chelsea Johnson, Christian Stacy, Faith Johnson, six great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Monday, November 3, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Girrbach Funeral Home, 328 South Broadway Street, Hastings, Michigan 49058. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 11:00 AM at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 805 South Jefferson Street, Hastings, Michigan 49058. Following the Mass, a private family burial will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Ionia, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lucky Fin Project, a project close to her heart, 1320 North Vermont Ave, Royal Oak, Michigan 48067. To leave online condolences, please visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net