Barbara Johnson, 69, managing editor of community newspaper

Barbara Ann Johnson,  69, of Philadelphia,  cofounder and managing editor of the Westside Weekly newspaper, died Saturday,  Feb. 18, at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby Borough.

Her death followed a long illness caused by diabetes, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, her husband, Tyree, said.

Mrs. Johnson was born in June 1947 in Florence, S.C., and at the age of 9 moved to Philadelphia.  She attended Martha Washington Elementary, Sulzberger Junior High, and West Philadelphia High Schools. In high school, she ran track and competed in the Penn Relays.

In  1966, a month before her 19th birthday, she met her future husband at Sayers United Methodist Church, across from her Catharine Street home.  Tyree Johnson, then 22, was an usher there.

She sat on the side of the church where he ushered, leading people to their seats and passing around  the collection plate, her husband said.

"She was wearing a pretty yellow dress, and she batted her eyes at me and smiled," he recalled.  "I thought,  'Wow, I've got to meet her.' "

Seven months later,  Tyree Johnson asked her father for permission to marry her.  They wed on Nov. 19, 1966, and had three children.  Last November, they celebrated their 50th anniversary.

Mrs. Johnson enjoyed dancing and competed in Bop Dance  competitions, winning several with her now-deceased dance partner, Reggie Farrare.  She taught line-dancing at the Cobbs Creek Recreation Center and at the Church of Christian Compassion Community Center, both in West Philadelphia.  She also loved to knit, sew, and cook, her husband said.

In the early years of their marriage, Mrs. Johnson worked as a waitress at two West Philadelphia restaurants to help support their family while Tyree Johnson pursued a career in journalism.  He was a  reporter at the Daily News and a member of the KYW-TV 3 I-Team.

In 1989, Mrs. Johnson and her husband launched the Westside Weekly.  At the beginning of their venture, she sold dinners and held card parties to help keep the business going.

"She loved the newspaper and was the driving force in making sure advertisers paid their bills," he said.

One night, they were driving on Chestnut Street near 60th Street  when she noticed a building with the lights on.

"She told me to stop the car, and she got out and went into the business of a contractor who owed us [advertising] money," Tyree Johnson said.  "She came back with the cash, counting the money as she was walking back to the car.  When she got in, she said,  'He said the check was in the mail.' "

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Johnson is survived by a daughter, Tyra E. Hayes; sons  Tyree III and Troy; 11 grandchildren;  three brothers; and a sister.

There will be a viewing from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 24, at  Bethany Missionary Baptist Church, 5747 Warrington Ave.  A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m.  Burial will be at Rolling Green Memorial Park, West Chester.