Mercedes Hortencia Johnson

    Mercedes Hortencia Johnson, nee Latore, was born September 12, 1940, to Adel M. Johnson and Hubert S. Latore in Kingston, Jamaica. Adel was from Cuba and Hubert, Costa Rica. Her early childhood was in Jones Town, Jamaica. She attended Jones Town Primary School. After primary school, she attended Kingston Senior School on a scholarship. The scholarship was part of a new education initiative started in Jamaica called the Experimental Secondary Classes. This program was for the most promising students coming out of primary school at the time; you could only get in with a teacher's recommendation. Her participation in the program came to an end when she gave birth to her first child Winston, in 1958. She had her second child Denise in 1961. At that time, she was employed as a store clerk. Her last work experience was with a company named Form Fit, just before she immigrated to America, which happened on the 24th day of November 1966.

    On arrival in New York, she lived with one of her many aunts, Aunt Ivy, at 505 W. 148th Street, which was like a destination for the aunts who had then recently immigrated to the US. Her first job was with a company called the Overseas Press Club-she cleaned the offices. Naturally, this did not last long because she had some ambition. She soon left for what was then called the First National City Bank-now known as City bank-in 1969. She returned to Jamaica in July 1970 for the marriage to her now deceased husband, Clive Johnson. After giving birth to her third child Courtney in 1972, she went to work for the European American Bank corporation. She had a longer tenure at EAB but, in 1984, after a call from her good friend Robin, she left to join her at NYC Technical College in the payroll department.

    In 1986, she enrolled in Empire State College, of the State University of New York. While working full-time, she earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the college in 1989. In so doing, she had essentially completed the educational path that was broken in 1958. By the time she left the workforce in 1990, she was the Director of Payroll at New York Tech. That same year, she retired and left New York for good and settled in Orlando, Florida, where she lived the remainder of her life. Her retirement though, was an active one. Life challenges had brought her closer to the Lord. When her daughter and son-in-law, Denise & Juan opened the One Accord Christian Ministries, in Orlando. She joined them as an active member and supporter and soon became an ordained minister; her roles expanded further when she became a deaconess. She traveled with the 7Eyestone missionary team to Jamaica and worked with them on various missions.

    She joined the faculty of One Accord Christian Academy, the school affiliated with the church, where she worked as a full-time teacher and later, as an assistant. Her students loved her, and she enjoyed working with them. She had a passion for the Lord and enjoyed telling others about Him. She loved to pray, teach, and give. She gave to numerous ministries and organizations worldwide. As well, she always gave willingly to family and friends. Those who knew her, knew her by the kindness she showed. She was very caring and, more than anything else, wanted people to get along.

 Her village included 3 children: Courtney, Denise and Winston; 4 grandchildren: Joy, Joshua, Victoria, and Briyanna; 3 greatgrandchildren: Jaydin, Julianna and Gabriella; and an extended family of relatives too numerous to mention-among them her only remaining aunt, Daphne, and an army of cousins and second cousins. As well, she leaves behind many friends and in-laws, once again, too many to name-in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina and Jamaica.

May her soul rest eternally in peace.