Sadie Lela (Evans) Johnson

Sadie Lela Evans Johnson was born on November 13, 1926, in Finchville, MD (Dorchester County). She was the tenth and last child of Asbury and Sadie Ricketts Evans. She attended Mount Hope Methodist Church as a child and was educated in the public schools of Dorchester and Caroline County, graduating from Lockerman High School in 1943.

Sadie married the late Randolph Henry Johnson, Sr., of Williston, Maryland, on March 4, 1944, where they raised their four children. The family attended St. Paul United Methodist Church in Williston and later joined Metropolitan United Methodist Church (formerly John Wesley) in the late 1950s, where she became a member of the choir and the trustee board and was active in various church committees. Sadie was also a chartered lifetime member of the Mannie Scott #193 American Legion Auxiliary, where she remained a loyal member as well as a member of Metropolitan United Methodist Church until her transition on November 2, 2025.

During her marriage, sewing became her passion and later her career. Through dedication and practice, she became an accomplished seamstress and tailor. In her "downtime," she started creating her own original clothing designs and specialty items worn by models in local fashion shows, pursuing her dream of becoming a designer. After retiring from Feds Sportswear in 1991, Sadie launched “Sassy Sadie Designs.” She traveled with her sister, Lyda “Lady B” Brummell, until the passing of her eldest son in December 1999 and then her husband in January 2000. As a widow, Sadie moved to the Washington, DC area to be close to her remaining children while still coordinating extended visits back to her home on the Eastern Shore until the 2020 pandemic.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son, and nine siblings: brothers Asbury Syville Evans and Frank Evans; sisters Pauline Gaines, Naomi Cornish, Jeanette Williams, Esther Hackett, Hazel Pinkett, Lyda Brummell, and Agnes Elliott; dedicated sister-in-law Marie Murray Evans, and two very special nephews, William “Tootsie” Evans and Oliver “Sonny” Brummell.

Sadie’s legacy is defined by smart choices, unwavering loyalty, and a humor that was both witty and kind. She was 98 years old and would have celebrated her 99th birthday on November 13, 2025.

She is survived by daughters Virgie Johnson and Odette Hawkins; son Dwayne Crawford Johnson; dedicated son-in-law, Ralph Hawkins; grandsons Ramont Hawkins (Kiniesha), Taj Hawkins, Cameron Johnson (Brittany), and Jermaine Snead (Kia); great-grandchildren Asia Hayes, Elijah Hawkins, Messiah Hawkins, Gabriella Johnson, Jay Snead, and namesake, “Olivia Sadie.’

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sadie Lela (Evans) Johnson, please visit our floral store.