Source: The Boston Globe (9/18/19)
Kay Ann Johnson
JOHNSON, Kay Ann Age 73, of Amherst, MA, passed away on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 from complications of metastatic breast cancer. Born in Chicago, IL, she was the daughter of Helen Johnson and D. Gale Johnson, renowned agricultural economist, professor, and former provost of the University of Chicago. Kay earned her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was a professor of Asian studies and political science at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA for over 40 years. She authored three scholarly books, and her research on China’s one-child policy and adoption practices both within China and abroad has been foundational to the examination of the policy and its impact on countless people. She was also a dedicated and extraordinary teacher who supervised hundreds of undergraduate theses at Hampshire. In addition to the widescale impact of her scholarship, Kay was also one of the first parents to adopt a child from China, and contributed greatly to both the New England and New York chapters of Families with Children from China. Her humanitarian efforts also included an instrumental role with Fu Ai, an organization providing medical support to orphans affected by HIV and AIDS in Fuyang, China. Kay is survived by her husband, Bill Grohmann of Amherst, MA; her son, Jesse Johnson, 33, of Hefei, China, and his partner, Mutong; and daughter, LiLi Johnson, 28, of Madison, WI, and her partner, Andrew; her brother, David of Sinking Springs, PA and wife, Jennifer. A Memorial Service will be planned for the fall. For those wishing to make a donation in Kay’s memory, contributions can be made to the Hampshire Fund in her name at donate.hampshire.edu
Posted by: Rebecca Karl <karl.rebecca22@gmail.com>