Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, known around the world simply as “Lady Bird”, died on Wednesday, at the age of 94, according to a press release by Elizabeth Christian and Associates Public Relations. Mrs. Johnson, the widow of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, is survived by two children, Lynda and Luci, two sons-in-law, Charles Robb and Ian Turpin, as well as a multitude of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. President Johnson preceded his First Lady in death by 34 years.
A later press release revealed that the family of Mrs. Johnson will celebrate in a private Eucharist on the morning of Friday, July 13th at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, where Mrs. Johnson resided. The public will then be invited to mourn the death of Mrs. Johnson as she lies in repose at the LBJ Presidential Library. Mrs. Johnson’s body will lie in state until Saturday morning. A by-invitation-only private funeral service will follow on Saturday, July 14th. The public is then invited on Sunday, July 15th to observe Mrs. Johnson’s funeral procession as it carries her body to her final resting place in Stonewall, Texas. According to the later press release, the route will process as follows:
The public route of the cortege will begin at the State Capitol at approximately 9 a.m., and will proceed south on Congress to Cesar Chavez. It will go right on Cesar Chavez and head west on the shores of Town Lake…It will turn and go west on 290 toward Johnson City…through downtown Johnson City, past President Johnson’s boyhood home and past the LBJ National Park Visitors Center. The public aspect of the cortege will end in Johnson City.
The remainder of the fifteen-mile drive from Johnson City to the family cemetery in Stonewall will include only family and invited friends and dignitaries.
Lady Bird was known for her environmental activism, and that passion is thought to be the source of her memorable aviary nickname, according to the White House biography of Mrs. Johnson. Having lost her mother at a very early age, she was raised mainly by her father, who instilled in her an interest in business. In an era when many women did not attend college, Mrs. Johnson graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, where she received degrees in Arts and Journalism.
Lady Bird met the future President Johnson at the age of 22, and they married shortly after a whirlwind courtship. With an acute mind for business and analysis, Mrs. Johnson worked by her husband’s side throughout his many political offices, often stepping into his place when circumstances kept him away from his constituents.
After President John F. Kennedy was slain by an assassin’s bullet in 1963, President Johnson was sworn into office, and Mrs. Johnson launched campaigns to beautify Washington, D.C. and the rest of the United States. Following President Johnson’s departure from office and subsequent to his passing, Mrs. Johnson devoted her time to the National Wildflower Research Center, the LBJ Presidential Library, and that National Geographic Society.
In a background news release by Elizabeth Christian and Associates Public Relations, it is noted that Mrs. Johnson was presented with fourteen honorary doctoral degrees and one scientific honorary fellowship between 1964 and 1998. In addition to those honors, she has received awards including the Congressional Gold Medal (in 1988), the Texan of the Year Award (in 1985), the Edwin P. Hubble Award (in 2004), and the American Legion Distinguished Award (in 1975).
Beyond her public persona and prestigious awards, Lady Bird will be remembered by Texans as well as many others throughout the world as a gracious woman who would go out of her way to sooth stressful situations and used Southern hospitality to make every occasion special. Throughout Texas and all of the United States, many will celebrate Lady Bird’s life while mourning her passing.
References
Elizabeth Christian, “Lady Bird Johnson Dead at 94.” (http://www.ladybirdjohnsontribute.org/press.hom/ecprpressreleases/July%2011%20Lady%20Bird%20Johnson%20Dead%20at%2094%20advisory.pdf)
Elizabeth Christian, “Lady Bird Johnson Funeral Arrangements Finalized.” (http://www.ladybirdjohnsontribute.org/press.hom/ecprpressreleases/July%2011%20Funeral%20Arrangements%20Finalized.pdf)
Elizabeth Christian, “Our Environmental First Lady: The Legacy of Lady Bird Johnson.” (http://www.ladybirdjohnsontribute.org/biography_legacy.htm)
The White House, “Biography of Lady Bird Johnson.” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/cj36.html)
