Gina Taylor Johnson, 51, of Mechanicsville, MD, passed away as the result of a car accident in Calvert County, Maryland on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Born Gina Lynn Taylor in Clarksburg, W.V., on Aug. 20, 1973, she was the mother of her beloved daughter Abigail Marie, wife of her devoted husband Stephen Scott Johnson and daughter of her loving parents Barry Taylor, Mary (Price) Taylor Camerlengo, and stepfather Larry Camerlengo.
Gina earned two bachelor’s degrees from Fairmont State University in Industrial Psychology and English and Oral Communication (Grades 5-12). While at college, she was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, a National Theatre Honorary fraternity, the Speech Team, Sigma Alpha Iota, the women’s music honors fraternity, the Collegiate Singers, and the English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. She was an active member of Fairmont State’s Town and Gown Players. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Communication from Notre Dame of Maryland University. In 2024, she earned a certificate in instructional design from the University of California, Irvine.
Gina was an adjunct professor of Communication and an instructional designer at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) where she worked for the last 13 years. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching and working with students and she was greatly loved by them. She radiated kindness, caring, and a deep desire to help others. While serving on several committees at the college, she enjoyed the experience of collaborating with colleagues from across campuses and working toward bettering the experiences of all students. She was awarded the Faculty Excellence Award for Adjunct Faculty in 2023 – an honor bestowed by her CSM colleagues. Gina had also just taken on a job as a career counselor in the Calvert County Public Schools in late October.
Prior to CSM, Gina was a teacher of English and theater at South Harrison High School in Clarksburg, W.V. where she supervised the school play (2003-2005). Gina was also the manager of the trade book and computer department at the Georgetown University Bookstore (2009-2010).
Gina was very active in college and community theater, taking on roles such as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Ida in Honk!, and the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods. It was while acting in the latter production that she and the play’s music director – Steve – fell in love. She continued her musical interests at CSM as a singer and bongo player in the CSM Latin Ensemble and as an alto in the CSM Chamber Singers. Her love of the arts and humanities lives on in their daughter Abby who plays the piano, writes poetry and short fiction, and draws freehand portraits of historical figures.
Gina was an avid Star Wars fan and collector. She, Steve, and Abby attended numerous popular culture conventions from which she built her impressive collection of Star Wars figurines and autographed portraits of Star Wars actors and voice actors. Though Steve was in the other camp (Star Trek), he and Gina shared a mutual love of all things sci-fi – and both treasured Gina’s prized possessions of her photo with William Shatner. And though the couple also had some differing musical interests, they learned to appreciate each other’s musical loves during their summer of attending concerts by Ringo Starr and Barbra Streisand.
Gina was a frequent reader of professional and recreational books, including psychological thrillers, contemporary fiction, Star Wars graphic novels, and the leading works in instructional design and education. Her interests extended to movies and music of the 80s – among her favorites were Bon Jovi, Tom Cruise, Marvel films, and anything starring Meryl Streep or Kate Winslet. As a native West Virginian, she remained a fan of the Mountaineers and the Steelers, and when not busy on the stage or in the classroom, spent time on weekends following her teams in Morgantown and Pittsburgh.
Gina was the love of Steve’s life for 21 years and the kindest and brightest mother of the best daughter in the world. She was a beautiful and supportive wife, mother, and daughter.
Along with Mary, Larry, Steve, and Abby – those left to grieve include her brother Greg Taylor, her grandfather Everett Taylor, brother- and sister-in-law David and Marie-Celine Johnson, sister-in law, Barbara (Johnson) Duff, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces. She was predeceased by her father Barry L. Taylor, her maternal grandparents Charles and Mary Price, her paternal grandmother, Sue Taylor, and brother-in-law Leon Duff.
A celebration of Gina’s life will be held at the Peace Lutheran Church, 401 Smallwood Drive, St. Charles, Md. 20602, on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. In loving memory of Gina and in lieu of flowers, the family invites contributions to the Humane Society of Waldorf, Maryland, or your local humane society to honor Gina’s legacy as a lover and supporter of our furry friends.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
