Willa Dale Johnson

Willa Dale Johnson, 85, of Levelland, passed from this life on April 29, 2025. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, June 6, 2025, at Christ United Methodist Church of Levelland, with a reception for family and friends to immediately follow the service. Interment with a small memorial will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 10:00 am, at Waco Memorial Park.

Willa Dale was born on April 6, 1940, in Kingsbury, Texas, to Otto and Oneita Day Hilbrich. Her family eventually moved to Alpine, Texas, where she grew up in her beloved Davis Mountains and graduated from Alpine High School in 1958. She attended Sul Ross State University for one year before transferring to Baylor University where she earned her degree in vocal music education in 1963. While singing in the choirs at Baylor, she met and fell in love with Jon Stewart Johnson, to whom she married at the First Baptist Church in Alpine on June 6, 1966. Willa Dale began her career as a lifelong music educator in Waco ISD in 1963, teaching elementary music at various campuses. She stepped away from teaching in 1969, when she and Jon were ready to begin their family, eventually welcoming daughters, Elizabeth and Amy. Willa Dale returned to the music classroom in 1980, teaching in Waco, Whitharral and eventually Levelland ISD. A lifelong choral music educator, she retired from Levelland Middle School in 2007 after serving as choir director since 1986. In her retirement, she embraced her role as MeeMom to her four grandsons, whom she dearly loved.

Willa Dale Johnson held many roles during her life; devoted wife, mother and daughter; inspiring choral music educator; powerful performer and vocal artist; caring friend and faith-filled believer. She loved her family beyond all measure and was greatly loved in return.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Jon Johnson; son, Blaine Johnson; parents, Otto and Oneita Hilbrich; father and mother in-law, O.V. and Wandell Johnson; brother, Otto Hilbrich Jr., and sister in-law, Mary Johnson.

Those left to honor and cherish her memory are her daughters, Elizabeth Johnson-Black and Amy Moore and husband, Greg; grandsons, Jonathan Moore and wife, Kailey, Harrison Black, Jacob Moore and Jonah Moore; brother, Paul Hilbrich and wife, Virginia; brother and sisters-in-law, Merle Hilbrich, Jamie Johnson, Barry Johnson, Dickie Johnson and Holly Johnson; along with numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations be made to the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, or Beyond Faith Hospice of Lubbock.

Services with integrity, pride, and honor are under the direction of Krestridge Funeral Home. (806) 897-1111