Vivian Knudsen Johsens

Feb 2, 1931 - Sep 23, 2016

Vivian Knudsen Johsens died peacefully in Santa Cruz California on September 23, 2016. She was born at home in Paso Robles on February 2, 1931.

Vivian grew up in various towns along the Central California coast following her father who was a civil engineer helping build Highway 1. Despite frequent moves, Menlo Park was always home. There, her family owned a house and a large swath of land that began as the Green Hope Chicken Ranch. Time and the Great Depression whittled the ranch down to a smaller plot where she, her sister Emily, her mother and her father resided. She had fond memories of playing in the local creek, bicycle riding in the surrounding hills and to the train station to meet her father after work and sleeping under the stars in her backyard.

Vivian attended Sequoia High School in Menlo Park. She was accepted to Stanford, but said there was no way she would go to college so close to home. Instead, she travelled far away... to Cal Berkeley where she was a member of the AOPi Sorority. She graduated with a degree in history and became a teacher.

She married Larry Johsens in 1958 and had 3 children: Kai, Karl and Hans. In the 1970’s, she and Larry built a house in the Santa Cruz Mountains with the Thoresen family. This was a true adventure with many ups and downs. Larry and Vivian divorced in 1979. Vivian then changed careers and became an expert in word processing followed by work as an executive secretary for venture capital firms.

After retiring, Vivian moved back to the family home in Menlo Park to assist her aging mother, Pauline Knudsen. During this time, Vivian enjoyed traveling with others to France, England, Norway, Denmark, Germany and around the USA. She also immensely enjoyed going to the Opera and the San Francisco Symphony. In her later years, Vivian discovered a love for swimming, winning many awards and inspiring others due to her successful efforts so late in life.

Vivian spent the last 5 years in Santa Cruz with her son Karl and his family and being supported also by her other son, Hans, and her daughter, Kai. In Santa Cruz, she enjoyed visits from her eight grandchildren and walks to the ocean and delighted in seeing her grandchildren surf. She accepted Jesus Christ as her savior 6 months before she unexpectedly yet peacefully passed away in her sleep on September 23, 2016. We are grateful for her life and the gift she was to many.

Memorial Donations may be made to the: Santa Clara County Library District 1370 Dell Avenue Campbell, CA 95008 https://www.sccl.org/ About/Support-the-Library/ Donate/Memorial-Gifts