August 21, 1950 - January 24, 2026
Simone Sue Johnson, a beloved mother, grandmother, and former educator, passed away on January 24, 2026, in DeKalb, Illinois. She was 75.
Born on August 21, 1950, in DeKalb, Illinois, at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Simone was the daughter of Norman and Carshon (Richardson) Johnson of Lee, Illinois. She was raised on the family farm just north of Shabbona.
Simone was a proud graduate of Shabbona High School in 1968. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Northern Illinois University in 1971. She dedicated her life to teaching, serving as an elementary school teacher in Loves Park, Paw Paw, DeKalb, and Malta, and later as a substitute teacher at Indian Creek. From 1992 to 2000, she channeled her passion for education into her own business, Johnson’s ABC, an educational supply store.
She is survived by her two sons, Shane Kern and his wife Nikki, and Christian Kern and his wife Stefanie. Simone was a loving grandmother to Kennedy, Brooklyn, Myles, and Jaxon.
Simone was preceded in death by her parents and her infant sons, Ronald Scott Kern and Jason Norman Kern, and son, Blake Jay Hawbaker.
Per Simone’s wishes, there will be no services or memorial. Arrangements were entrusted to Torman Funeral Home, Paw Paw, IL.
