Obituary of Elizabeth von Keller Johnson

Elizabeth “Liz” von Keller Johnson died peacefully in Summerville, S.C., on December 15, 2021, after a short illness.  She was 74.

The daughter of the late Arthur von Keller III and the late Elizabeth Roberts von Keller, Liz was born in Keane, N.H.  She moved to Camden as a child and was a graduate of Camden High School.  After attending business college in Charlotte, her first job was with Dupont’s Camden Plant.  She ended her career as a Victims Rights Advocate for the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Kershaw County.

Liz married Ronald “Ronnie” Johnson in 1967.  Upon his retirement, they moved to Beaufort, where they loved spending time on their boat and watching the dolphins.  Liz was an accomplished gardener with an encyclopedic knowledge of plants.  She was also an excellent cook, especially of Low Country seafood.  She was a devoted caregiver to her father after her mother’s death and to Ronnie during his lengthy illness before his death in 2009.  In later years, she enjoyed sitting on her porch in Folly Beach and watching the dolphins.

Of all of her accomplishments, she was happiest to be the mother of her only child, Jason “Jake” Keller Johnson.  She made their home a welcoming haven for his friends, and she took great pride in the fact that they all stayed in touch, even after they had grown up and moved away.  She spent the last two years of her life living with Jake and his wife, Latasha, in Charleston.

Liz is survived by her son, Jake (Latasha); brother Arthur von Keller, IV (Beth); brother Teddy von Keller (Kim); nephew Nikolai von Keller (Diana); and nieces Travis von Keller and Elizabeth von Keller.  A family memorial service will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the lowcountrymarinemammalnetwork.org.