Obituary of Alyce Ann Johnsen

passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 93 on June 25th 2017 Beloved Wife, Mother, and Grandmother. She was an artist and culture maven who loved attending theater and dance performance and was an enthusiastic patron of the arts. Originally of Duluth, Minnesota she attended: Cathedral High school Duluth, MN St. Scholastica College Duluth, MN Parsons School of Design New York, NY Born as Alice Anne Lanigan October 7th, 1923 in Duluth, Minnesota to Charles A. Lanigan and Anne Elise Lanigan (b. Anna Elise Schau) Lanigan. Alyce was only 9 months old when her father Charles passed away from a heart attack. The family had been in Florida where he was conducting land developments. Leaving his widow Anne to raise Alyce and her three brothers (Frank, Mark, & Bill) on her own. The family returned to Duluth, Minnesota to moved into the ancestral home where they were able to live comfortably off of the investments made by her late husband Charles A. When the Great Depression hit times became financially difficult for the family. During World War II, with her brothers away for the war effort, Alyce and her mother moved to New York City where Alyce would attend Parson’s School of Design. They lived right in the heart of Manhattan off Broadway. She worked briefly in New York City as a fashion illustrator after graduating from art school. With her designs and illustrations appearing in Harpers Bazaar, Neiman Marcus, and other fashion venues. She moved back to Duluth with her mother in 1945 at the end of the war. She worked for Freimuth’s Department Store in public relations, ad layout, and illustration. In Duluth Alyce met Arnold “Arnie” T. Johnsen who was a former US Marine in the Air Corps, Oil Rep, and salesman. The two would marry in 1949. They successfully raised four children (Danny Thomas Johnsen b. 1950, Barbara Ann Johnsen b. 1951, Bradford Arnold Johnsen b. 1952, and Gregory Anton Johnsen b. 1962) Alyce and Arnie Johnsen moved to Marshall, Minnesota where they would live from 1954 to 1964. She was a founding member of the Marshall Community Players. The theater troupe would produce numerous contemporary and classic productions. Several of which Alyce acted in leading roles as well as directing. While raising her family and producing plays, she continued freelancing as a graphic artist doing ad layouts for Maurice's Department Store, the local news paper, and even a cookbook. Somehow she still found time to sew dresses and knit hats, scarves and sweaters for the family. In 1964 the Johnsen family moved to Rice Lake, WI. Alyce continued working as a freelance graphic designer for the local department store and newspaper. She would remain active in theater with the Hardscrabble Players and occasionally returned to Marshall as an emergency understudy. Alyce and Arnold enjoyed hosting dinner parties featuring aspic/jello salads and entertaining friends by whipping up popular cocktails of the times. 1967 brought the family back to Duluth, MN where she worked as a bank teller in the loan department and reconciler of off premise banks for the computer center. In 1971 Her husband Arnie suffered a stroke which limited his ability to meet the rigors of travel involved for regional sales work. After Arnie’s stroke, Alyce began to work full time in the Printing and Graphic Arts department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. While in the UMD Graphic Department she would return to the work she loved best. Illustrating and doing graphic layout to meet the design needs for academic publications and pamphlets. Shortly after retirement in 1988, Alyce and Arnie moved to Minnetonka, MN where they would be closer to family. Alyce continued to enjoy many trips to indulge her love of art and culture. She also had a lot of time to enjoy visits with her grown children and grandchildren. Arnold T. Johnsen passed away in 1998 to lung and heart disease. She lost her son Bradford to to throat cancer in 2011. Alyce continued to live independently and enjoyed an active life. She occupied her time by writing short stories, reading, swimming and exercise classes at the YMCA. She enjoyed theater, dance and concerts with her daughter Barbara. Through out her life Alyce loved visiting friends and making cultural excursions throughout the United States and abroad. Her travels ranged from Istanbul, Turkey for her son Danny’s wedding to Paris and Amsterdam to indulge her love of art. She made countless trips to New York and Chicago to see her son Gregory and to take in art shows and theater. Several road trips were made with friends to Arizona and Florida among other travels. Alyce Ann Johnsen was blessed with a fulfilling and creative life living out her dreams and as she slipped into her final sleep, we take pause as in the words of Shakespeare, “For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.” Our family will miss our beloved mother, grandmother, and dear friend.