'Dog's World' columnist remembered fondly | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

Mrs. Johnson died of natural causes June 24 at Memorial Hospital in Easton after an illness lasting for about a week.

"She was a very sweet lady, very independent, very loving and giving," said April Duncan, Mrs. Johnson's daughter. "She had lots of friends of all ages."

Mrs. Johnson was born Nov. 25, 1921, in Philadelphia, and she attended Moore Institute, a three-year art school.

She met her husband, the late retired Navy Capt. Van Dyke Johnson, at the start of World War II. A newly enlisted naval officer, he was stationed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and rented a room from her mother. They were married in 1943 and moved from station to station, including Guam, Rome, Hawaii and California. They settled in Annapolis in the early 1960s. Capt. Johnson died about five years ago.

Mrs. Johnson was a talented pen-and-ink artist, her daughter said, who preferred drawing animals - particularly dogs and horses - and whose yearly hand-drawn Christmas cards will be missed. But what really characterized her was her love for dogs.

"She's always loved dogs all her life," Mrs. Duncan said. She has taken Mrs. Johnson's two Shelties into her own home.

Mrs. Johnson taught dog obedience classes at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Anne Arundel County, then independently on her own. But she always donated a portion of her proceeds to the SPCA.

"She was just very, very warm and caring and a really great person," said Sue Beatty, executive director of the SPCA. "She was very generous."

Mrs. Johnson was also a member of the Canine Training Association for many years, training her own dogs through the association and faithfully announcing the association's classes in her column.

"She knew dogs very well and wrote very well about them," said Ken Nagler, the training director for the association. "She had quite a following of people who appreciated her work."

Mr. Nagler also appreciated her generosity. Once, when the association was struggling to pay for the renovations to the warehouse they were renting, Mrs. Johnson came forward with a substantial donation.

"We didn't see her very often, but we considered her a friend for many years," he said.

Mrs. Johnson also enjoyed writing about dogs. She tried to syndicate her "Dog's World" column and saved every single one that she ever wrote. She also wrote a couple of books about dogs and obedience training, which she tried, unsuccessfully, to get published.

"She was just all about dogs," Mrs. Duncan said.

Mrs. Johnson was a member of Pets on Wheels and was very active with the Hospital Auxiliary's Clothes Box. She was also a member of the Garden Club and recently became a Red Hatter.

Besides drawing, writing and dogs, she also enjoyed gardening and sailing with her husband.

Including her daughter, she is survived by two brothers, Bill Raiser of Iowa and Jack Raiser of Florida; and two granddaughters.

A memorial gathering will be held at 12:30 p.m. July 10 at Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester St. in Annapolis. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, 1815 Bay Ridge Ave., Annapolis, MD 21403 or to Friends of Quiet Waters Park, Peggy Johnson Memorial, care of April Duncan, 7598 Woodland Drive, Easton, MD 21601.