Dr. Pauline B. Johnson

Dr. Pauline B. Johnson (Dr. Polly), CRNA, Ed. D., age 85 of West Chester, Ohio went home to be with the Lord surrounded by her family in her home on Monday, January 1, 2018. She was born on May 10, 1932 in London, KY to the late Chester and Bertha Hale Benge and leaves behind three daughters, Rita, Nita and Gina. One of Dr. Polly’s greatest gifts to her daughters was the focus on educational advancement and professional success. As a depression child, she was determined to change her life through education, hard work and faith in Jesus Christ. While working full time, raising three daughters and attending church weekly, she proved “you can change your life” through higher education. She was a pioneer in a professional and educational world that did not embrace married students or women with children and often faced obstacles as she challenged traditional norms and discrimination. Dr. Polly had a passion for nursing and received her registered nursing degree from Northern Kentucky University in 1968. She then pursued a degree in anesthesia, graduating from the UC Medical Center/General Hospital as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in 1971. She began her anesthesia career at Jewish Hospital. She then worked for Hamilton Anesthesia Group practicing at Mercy and Fort Hamilton hospitals from 1972 – 1986. Later, she worked at McCollough Hyde and Shriners Burn Institute. Dr. Polly loved anesthesia from the beginning of her training and was greatly respected by surgeons, nurses and other staff of Cincinnati and Hamilton hospitals. She was an encourager of all people and integrated her faith into her professional work in a very meaningful way. In 1989, she practiced anesthesia traveling to underserved hospitals in OH and KY and retired at the age of 70. She completed additional degrees including a Masters of Education in 1977 and Doctor of Education in 1981 at the University of Cincinnati while working as a full time professional. She was active politically in anesthesia, was the past president of OSANA and served at the national level as Committee Chair and Public Relations Officer of AANA. She was an active member of Lindenwald Baptist Church from 1953 – 1990 and First Baptist Church from 1990 – 2013, serving as Church Secretary, choir member, Sunday school teacher and inviting friends and neighbors to church regularly. She believed that “everyone needs to know the Lord loves them”. In 1950, Dr. Polly married Scottie W. Johnson, the father of her daughters, deceased in 1976. She later married C. Phillip Crampton, deceased in 2005. She has three sisters, Francis Marie Steinert and Charlotte Hope Benge, both living in the Cincinnati area, and the late Naoma “Tiny” Moore. She is survived by her daughters, Rita K. Johnson (Attorney at Law, Novato, CA), Nita (spouse Jeff) J. Yaw (retired School Nurse, Hamilton City Schools, West Chester, OH) and Gina (spouse Daniel) Carlson Dutro (Faculty at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, Montgomery, OH) and grandchildren, Dr. Jared (spouse Codee) Yaw (PHd in Ed Psychology, University of Tennessee, Nashville, TN), Rachel Yaw (B.S. Chemical Engineering, Miami University, West Chester, OH), Kendra (spouse Tony) Beasley (B.A. Agriculture, Willmington College, Fort Walton Beach, FL), Wesley Carlson (B.A. Political Science, Ohio State University, Dubai, UAE) and Grant Dutro (freshman at St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati, OH). Dr. Polly leaves a legacy of hard work, education, and faith in Christ demonstrated by her life. We will miss her greatly but have the peace that she is in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Visitation is Saturday, January 6th at First Baptist Church of Hamilton, 1501 Pyramid Hill Blvd. from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Funeral service at 12:00 noon. Dr. Polly’s grandson, Jared Yaw, will officiate. Graveside service will be in London, KY at 12:00 noon, Sunday, January 7, 2018 at Wiggington Cemetery. THE WEBSTER FUNERAL HOME: 3080 Homeward Way at Route 4, Fairfield is serving the family. Website: