Marlene Smith Johnson

Marlene Smith Johnson, of Bladenboro, passed away on Thursday, August 20, 2026 while at Novant Health in Wilmington at the age of 82. She was preceded in death by her parents, George W. Smith Jr. and Lois Mazelle Smith and one brother, Wilson Smith. 

Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband, the Reverend Merle Johnson of the home, three children, Michael Johnson and wife Diana of Pembroke, GA; Dwayne Johnson and wife Wendy of Bladenboro; and Daphne Fletcher and husband Lewis of Bladenboro; two siblings, Gerald Smith of Bladenboro and Janice Taylor of Elizabethtown; eight grandchildren, Caleb Johnson, Emily Johnson, Katie Souter and husband David; Matthew Johnson and wife, Jackie; Sarah Johnson, Rebecca Johnson, Marley Fletcher and Laney Fletcher, and one great grandchild, Charlie Beth Souter.

The family will receive friends on Monday, August 24th from 6-8 pm at the Bladen Gaskins Funeral Home in Elizabethtown. A funeral service is planned for Tuesday, August 25th at 2 pm at the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Bladenboro.