Marise 'Reesie' K. Johnson, 73

Marise "Reesie" K. Johnson was born May 15, 1953, to Dr. M.E.K. Johnson and Rita Ann (Almas) Johnson. The youngest of three girls, Reesie arrived with an outgoing personality, an insatiable curiosity and a mind that seemed to absorb everything. Tell her something about archaeology or art history once, and she would remember it years later.

She attended Rausie Cuming’s kindergarten and always declared it her best school year. Summers were spent at Flathead Lake swimming and catching toads. The family dog, Cindy, had failed as a cattle herder but was excellent at keeping track of children. Cindy was the first of many dogs Reesie would adore.

At Flathead High School, Reesie loved German with Herr Lopp and could still converse in German 50 years later. She was also part of the 1971 Flathead High School Bowl Championship team, which thoroughly defeated the competition. Calculus was another matter. With nightly tutoring from Loy Robinson, she survived it and credited him with helping her earn the grades needed for medical school. She was also Kalispell’s Junior Miss. 

Reesie attended Whitman College, where her grandfather had taught mathematics. Unfortunately, as Reesie liked to point out, the math gene had apparently skipped her generation. She loved singing and was a choir member in high school and college.

She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Her years in the South were not always easy. During one of her final clinical rotations, her supervising professor would not allow her to examine any of his male patients---even though she was only two weeks away from receiving her medical degree. It was an experience that might have discouraged some people, but Reesie carried on. She was very happy to return west, and she completed her internship and Internal Medicine Residency in Denver.

In 1984, she joined her father’s medical practice in Kalispell. She was an excellent diagnostician and loved taking care of her patients. She developed a particular interest in osteoporosis. She practiced medicine until 2024, when injuries from a car accident forced her retirement.

Outside of medicine, Reesie had a lifelong love of animals, especially horses, dogs, and cats. Danny was her Morgan riding horse, and she won a trophy for English Pleasure on Trinket, the family’s Arab/Morgan mare. On three-week pack trips into the Bob Marshall wilderness, she was in charge of planning all the meals. We ate well.

Reesie believed in being useful. She served on the Brendan House board from 1987-1995 and as medical advisor for Home Options from 1987-2002. She was active in Daybreak Rotary until 2025 and volunteered with her sister Ann at the Flathead Foodbank. Through the Montana Medical Association, she helped recognize Chief Earl Old Person of the Blackfeet Nation for his efforts to obtain a new Indian Health Service medical facility in Browning.

Reesie was also instrumental in establishing two endowed scholarships at Flathead Valley Community College: The Diogenes Award and the M.E.K. Johnson Scholarship for Surgical Technology.

After the death of her significant other, Jim Ludwig, in the 1990s, Reesie moved back in with her parents to help care for them. She was creative, a very good cook, and an enthusiastic cooking channel viewer. She loved throwing dinner parties and making things interesting. Boundaries were not something Reesie accepted gracefully, and she was not always sure when enough was enough. Those who knew her best will recognize that this was part of her charm.

Reesie leaves behind a remarkable collection of memories, patients she cared for, animals she loved, meals she planned, facts she remembered, causes she championed, and family and friends who will miss her curiosity creativity, generosity, humor, and unmistakable presence.

She is survived by her sister Ann Johnson at the family home; cousins and their families; Mac (her beloved dog); two nephews and their families; as well as cousins and their families.  

A gathering will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 14 at the Conrad Mansion. Come and join us with your stories about Reesie.  

If you are inclined, instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Selma Dodge Nursing Scholarship at Flathead Valley Community College, 777 Grandview St., Kalispell, MT  59901.