It is with much sadness that we learnt of the death of Federation President Johanna on 15 June 2021.
The Club wishes to thank all who have sent us messages of condolence and support.
Johanna joined Soroptimists in 1987, first with SI High Wycombe and then SI Thames Valley, as a founder member in 1990. She had held most offices at club and Regional level, becoming a Federation Councillor for four years and Director Without Portfolio for two years. She was also Chair of Trustees of the Kori Development Project in Sierra Leone, raising funding for the library and schools, a continuing major project for the club. Her club, Soroptimism International of Thames Valley was so proud of her when she became the Federation President of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in its hundredth year.
Johanna’s support for her club was exemplary, especially in encouraging newer members to get involved in Programme Action work. She was delighted to be one of the first clubs to raise funds for the Tissue Banks set up by Breast Cancer Now. She was always ready to support club activities like the five year Missing Miles project when over fifty other clubs joined Thames Valley in walking, publicising and supporting the walkers who raised awareness of the need for more support for the families of missing people. She was there when the club first planted trees to commemorate their tenth anniversary, again when we planted a cedar tree in the Lebanon. She was, as Federation President of Great Britain and Ireland, enjoying this year’s Centenary project of planting trees throughout the world to help the environment.
She had always supported the work of our London Chilterns region and was looking forward to taking part in our 100th anniversary celebrations organised by our newest club, SI Milton Keynes and Soroptimist’s oldest club, SI Oakland in California in June 2021. Johanna will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She was an inspirational woman and leaves her club with many treasured memories.
