Sue Ellen Page Johnson of died on Sunday, November 27th, at age 67. After a 14-month journey with brain cancer, she died peacefully at home in Princeton, NJ, surrounded by her family and the prayers of many friends.
Sue Ellen was born on June 29th, 1949 in Osceola, Iowa to Robert and Joyce Page, both church musicians. She was the eldest of five siblings. The Page family loved to sing together. Robert wrote à cappella arrangements for Sue Ellen and her four brothers, which they continued to sing together until recent years. Sue Ellen met master teacher Helen Kemp in 1965, who quickly became her mentor and life-long friend.
Sue Ellen received undergraduate and graduate degrees in music education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, and held adjunct faculty positions there. She also received the Specialist Diploma from the Orff-Institute, Mozarteum, in Salzburg, Austria. Sue Ellen conducted choral festivals for children and youth across the country and internationally. She prepared and taught teacher training seminars for many Christian denominations as well as professional organizations, composed arrangements and compositions for children and youth, and is the author of a book, Hearts and Hands and Voices, a guide for teaching sacred music. In 2016 Sue Ellen released what she called her magnum opus: “Glory to God: A Singing Faith All Day Long”, a recorded collection of hymns, chants and prayers for young children and their families.
From 1982-2016, Sue Ellen held the position of Director of Choirs for Children and Youth at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. Sue Ellen co-founded the Trenton Children’s Chorus in 1989 and was its Artistic Director until 2004. Besides rehearsal and performance, the TCC offered underprivileged children homework help, summer camp placement, and assistance with admission to private secondary schools and colleges. Under her direction, the Trenton Children’s Chorus traveled and performed with children from Nassau Presbyterian Church, together known as the Covenant Singers. The group sang throughout the Northeast, including at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., and in concert with Dave Brubeck and Bobby McFerrin. Sue Ellen was the recipient of the NJ Governor’s award for Excellence in the arts, was named an honoree in the Princeton YWCA’s Tribute to Women, and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Westminster Choir College.
Sue Ellen met Eric Johnson in 1970 when she was an undergraduate at Westminster Choir College and he was a student at Princeton Theological Seminary. They were married at Orangewood Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, AZ on July 12, 1972. Together they raised four children, Amanda, Luke, Ben and Mandy. Sue Ellen and Eric shared a love of Old English sheepdogs and raised nine dogs through the course of their marriage.
Sue Ellen’s calling was to spread the word of God through music. At Nassau Church and throughout the country, she enabled children to be worship leaders and developed congregational song, often preaching that “the congregation is the first choir”! She leaves a lasting legacy of music that will continue to spread for generations.
Sue Ellen is survived by her husband Eric Johnson, her four grown children: Amanda, Luke, Ben and Mandy; her brothers: Bill, Richard, Rob and Dave; and seven grandchildren: Hailey, Ryan, Ella, Chloe, Kira, James and Charlotte.
A Memorial Service will be held for Sue Ellen on December 20th at 11:00 AM at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. Donations in her honor can be made to CASA (www.casaforchildren.org), an organization that advocates for foster children, and The Trenton Children’s Chorus (www.trentonchildrenschorus.org).
