Jean A. Johnson

Jean Allison (Googins) Johnson 1925 – 2025 JEAN ALLISON (GOOGINS) JOHNSON, 99, GORHAM, Maine Jeannie, 99 passed away peacefully at the Gorham House on Friday September 5, 2025, surrounded by her beloved “babies” (stuffies). Born in Westbrook, Maine on December 2,1925 to Harriett Raymond Laverty and Willard Hiram Googins, she was best known for her career in dance and music. She graduated from Westbrook High School in 1944 and then went on to business college. Her career in dance started at around ten years old. Under the stage name of Jeannie Anderson, she soon began dancing with Dorothy (Dot) Blake Shaw, her dancing partner for many years as “Dot and Jean the Dancing Team.” Donning matching outfits that were hand made by Harriett, Jeannie’s mother, they became part of the local USO performers for the troops during WWII on ships docked in Portland harbor, Maine. They also danced as part of Ken MacKenzie’s New Radio Review in 1938 which toured in country shows, theater stage shows, and hotel and nightclub floor shows around the New England area. After working with Ken MacKenzie for six years, she joined Tony and Juanita. In 1946 she joined Bud Bailey and the Down-Easters which went on tour in Saint Joseph, Missouri. While in Missouri, she met Harold Lloyd Hodgkiss who used the stage name of “Fiddlin” Harold Carter and became his wife. She changed her stage name to Jeannie Carter and taught herself to play the upright bass. They broadcast six live shows a day on KFEQ 680 radio from Saint Joseph. While on tour in Missouri, they helped raise money to purchase the Pony Express landmark. She and Harold formed their own group called “Riders of the Pony Express.” After the tour was completed, Jeannie and Harold moved back to Maine with their daughter Candy and continued their musical careers in the Lewiston, Portland and Bangor areas. They performed with local talent such as Dick Curless, Curly O’Brien, Gene Hooper, Sleepy Willis, and Hal Lone Pine and Betty Cody. Jeannie eventually joined Little Joey and the Country Playboys, who enjoyed a strong local following by playing in such places as The Brown Bag and Beaver Brook Campground. She played with them for seventeen years and in 1975 they were named the Country Band of the Year. Jeannie joined Elmer Larson and Country Fever in 1986. The highlight of her career was being inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988. Along with playing nights and weekends, Jeannie was a “dorm mother” at the University of Maine in Orono at Androscoggin Hall and worked at UNUM in Portland for many years. In 1988 she married the love of her life Ted Johnson and moved to Gorham. She enjoyed taking care of her dogs Ginger and Angel. Jeannie touched thousands of lives with her energetic performances. Her distinctive laugh made everyone’s day a little brighter. She had many close friends and co-workers through the years. Jeannie is predeceased in death by her mother Harriett, her father Willard, her sister Marguerite “Peggy” Dowe, her husband Ted Johnson, and stepchildren Mark and Pete Johnson. She is survived by her children Candy (Richard) Haskell of Winslow, ME, Dianne (Mike) Cote, Greg (Cheryle Libby) Johnson, Sally (Marty) Strode, Tammy (Jason) Robinson and Jeff (Mary Lou) Johnson. Grandchildren are Jennifer Lewis of Winslow ME, Alex (Tina) Clifford of Benton, ME, Lisa (Kevin) Purnell of Oakland, ME, Cheri Smith of Goffstown, NH, and several great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. The family would like to acknowledge the excellent care the Gorham House and Affinity Care (Hospice) gave Jeannie later in life. A celebration of life for Jeannie will be at 11am on Saturday, September 13th at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Avenue, Portland, Maine. In lieu of flowers contributions in Jeannie’s memory may be made to: Affinity Care of Maine 1 Runway Road Suite 5 South Portland, Maine 04106 https://affinityhealthmanagement.com/donation/ or Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland 217 Landing Road Westbrook, Maine 04092

Jean A. Johnson

December 2, 1925 - September 5, 2025

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