Wanda Dean Johnson, 83, of Burlington, died Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the Klein Center in West Burlington.
Born May 26, 1942, in Birmingham, Alabama, she was the daughter of Charles Earl and Dorothy Dean Olvey. On December 18, 1976, she married Ronald W. Johnson in Birmingham. He died on February 8, 2025, in Burlington.
Dean graduated in 1963 from Birmingham Baptist School of Nursing (The Moffett and Sanders School of Nursing at Samford University) as a Registered Nurse (RN) under the expert tutelage of Ida B. Moffett. Ms. Moffett took an interest in Dean and personally arranged for her to receive a full scholarship to the University of Alabama - Roll Tide Roll; here, in 1965, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Dean’s fellow nursing students famously aided and abetted Dean with her quests to escape the critical eye of “Miss Moffett,” and more often than not, Dean’s inability to corral her curls under the traditional white nurses’ cap threatened to disrupt her cohort’s harmony. Dean was later offered a prestigious position in leadership at Quarterback Tower, but passed on the opportunity to balance time with her family. She spent most of her career as a BSN, RN in intensive/critical-care settings, thriving as a leader and expert decision-maker despite her unruly hair.
Dean captivated all with her sparkling personality, effusive love, and gift of hospitality, regularly hosting gatherings of friends and family without breaking a sweat. She was the keeper of recipes in the family, learning from her grandmother’s tried and true apron strings. Smells of savory bacon and butter infused Dean’s Southern kitchen and accompanied legendary meals; interestingly, her baking skills suffered from her unwillingness to follow strict instructions, often resulting in less-than-desirable sweet treats. This stubborn streak, however, was evident and served her well, assisting her with the decision to refuse her father’s pressures of secretarial school as well as her choice to pursue her career in nursing as a working wife and mother of three. Dean’s strong faith in Christ was central to her life, and she ensured her family was raised in the Baptist church. She and her husband, Ron became missionaries to Macas, Ecuador, in their retirement, fulfilling both their dedication to Christ and satiating their love of travel and exploration.
In Dean’s final chapter, she spent time in memory care due to the unrelenting ravages of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). While memories of lifelong friends and family vanished, she continued to live her best life - charming staff, making new friends, and dancing, smiling, and singing during every single occasion offered. As much as her husband and children missed her, they all also appreciated that her personality and love for Alabama football persisted. Her favorite people greeted her with “Roll Tide, Dean!” and sang hymns with her. Her end came peacefully, surrounded by family and supported by the unfailing care of the hospice team that chose to know her so well. She will be well remembered.
Survivors include her daughters, Amanda Johnson (Doug Glader) Winters of Burlington, and Stephanie (George "Chip") Davis Casey of Birmingham, AL; six grandchildren, Jake, Amy and Jamie Casey and Owen, Gwen and Lucy Winters; and one brother, Don (Lisa) Olvey of Birmingham.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, brother Frank Olvey, and daughter Amy Lane Davis.
Services will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband and daughter at Elmwood Cemetery.
The funeral for Dean and Ron will be held on Friday, May 15, at 2:00 PM at Johns-Rideout’s Mortuary — Elmwood Chapel with a graveside service to follow. Visitation for family and friends begins at 1:00 PM.