Margaret "Flowing" Katherine Johnson's Obituary
Margaret (Flowing) Johnson, born November 14, 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa died peacefully on January 20, 2026 in St. Louis Missouri, surrounded by family and friends following a stroke. She lived in Des Moines until 1958 when she graduated from high school and her family moved to Joplin, Missouri. She attended Kansas State College in Pittsburg, Kansas, and received her bachelors and masters degree in mathematics.
Margaret-Flowing is preceded in death by her parents, William and Pearl Johnson; and the love of her life, Marcia Levin. She is survived by her sister-in-law Diana Johnson, her partner’s sister and brother-in-law, Susan Levin and Jamie Raser, nephew, Cameron Raser, and her niece, Kelli, husband, Jay Newman and their children, Stormi and Zane Newman. Other family and her family-of-choice are too many to be listed.
In 1964 she moved to St. Louis to take a position with the newly formed St. Louis Community College as a mathematics teacher, and she taught there until she retired. She was a well loved teacher, a positive role model and mentor.
She came out as both a feminist and a lesbian at the age of 28 and was very involved in the lesbian feminist community in St. Louis.
In 1979 she helped organize the first Take Back the Night March to
fight against the sexual abuse of women. Over one thousand women attended the March. During the same period, she started the St. Louis group of Women Rising in Resistance in response to a local trial in which the judge had ordered that a man who had raped his niece over many years get (only) probation. She met her life partner, Marcia Levin, at the protest against the judge. Marcia predeceased Flowing in February 2025 but, together for forty-two years, they worked to make change in the world.
Johnson became what she called “a kick-ass activist,” planning and leading direct action and civil disobedience events to protest discrimination against women and lesbians and gays, but she was not an angry activist but a calm leader and teacher. She taught many in the St. Louis community how to engage in non-violent protest.
In 1986 she joined the national civil disobedience planning committee for the national March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which performed a civil disobedience action at the US Supreme Court to protest the Bowers v. Hardwick decision that upheld laws that criminalized gay sex. The action resulted in the firsthand only time the court was shut down because of a protest.
In 1988 Flowing and Marcia, along with Jon Cohen, founded Queer Nation St Louis to raise awareness about lesbian and gay discrimination. They participated in the national movement against Cracker Barrel by doing sit-ins at the restaurant to protest Cracker Barrel’s policy of not hiring lesbian and gay employees. In 1991 Queer Nation was asked by St. Louis Act Up to participate in the Stop the Church action against the Catholic Church’s policies concerning homosexuals, including refusal to support safe sex education and the use of condoms. Johnson and other lesbian feminists agreed to participate if the Church’s anti-abortion stance was included in the protest. In 1992, on Easter Sunday, over 100 people (at the time, the largest gay rights protest in St. Louis) participated in a peaceful protest outside the Catholic Cathedral addressing the church’s stance against homosexuals, AIDS, and abortion.
For over 40 years, Flowing was an active member of the worker community at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. For many years, she was the Land Crew Coordinator - responsible for maintaining the ecology and beauty of the land where the festival was held. Later, she was co-coordinator of the festival Community Center.
During the Ferguson-Florrisant unrest following Michael Brown’s killing in 2014, Flowing and Marcia marched in the streets until they could no longer keep up with the young people marching miles at a time. Then they provided pizzas, water and supplies, bail money and made and distributed Black Lives Matter signs all over St. Louis.
In addition to her activism, Flowing was an avid bicyclist, birdwatcher, gardener, reader, card player, and Star Trek fan. She loved to travel and this adventurous and curious spirit led her to teach college in China for 6 months. She played pickleball until her hip would no longer allow it. She loved her partner, Marcia, her cats Sassafras and Walnut, and her many beloved friends. She was generous with her knowledge and leaves a rich legacy. She was a peaceful but fierce advocate and leader. May her memory be a blessing to all of us.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 2:00 pm at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, Missouri, 9100 Clayton Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63117.
In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to The Margaret "Flowing" Johnson Memorial Fund for We Want The Land Coalition. Donation can be made online at: https://donorbox.org/the-margaret-flowing-johnson-memorial-fund-for-wwtlc
Aquamation services provided by Hughes Funeral Alternatives in St. Louis, Missouri. Friends and family can sign an online guestbook at https://www.HughesFA.com
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