Constance Aileen Johnson-Kinder-Spolyar, BHS 1942?

Constance Aileen Johnson-Kinder-Spolyar, BHS 1942?
1924 ~ 2009

The Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 3, 2009

On April 25, 2009 Constance passed away from pulmonary fibrosis. Born May 29, 1924 in Tujunga, California to Joseph Brink Johnson, Jr. and Marjorie Lewis. Connie graduated from Burbank High School and attended a junior college. Connie married Paul Thomas Kinder, Sr. on June 22, 1947 and bore sons: Paul Thomas Kinder, Jr. and Larry Bryan Kinder. Paul Kinder, Sr. died in 1960. She married Darwin A. Spolyar in 1969 and they took a two week trip to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

She is survived by her loving husband of 40 years: Darwin Spolyar, her son: Paul Thomas Kinder Jr. (Anne); and son: Larry Bryan Kinder (Wendy); granddaughters: Liana, Taryn (Billy), Hanna and great-granddaughter Ava. Paul's kids; granddaughters Rebekka, Tiffani, Mandi, Jennifer, grandson Larry and great-grandchildren: Bryce, Brok, Reegan, Brenor, and Harley. Stepdaughter Leslie O'Donohue and grandson Frank Yeary and granddaughter Erica Steers provided eight great-grandchildren: Lauren, Harrison. Mitchell, Malcom, Henri, Pierce, Nickolas, and Christopher. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters Trudy and Winifred, and a brother Lee.

Connie worked as a riveter and bucker on Vega aircraft in Burbank, California in 1942 and was of the "Rosie the Riveter" fame. She followed up her working life raising two sons with jobs at various technical companies: Varians, Lockheed Missile, Red Cross, ADAC Labs, ending with work at Crocker Bank and Wells Fargo Bank.

She loved creating poetry with illustrations on 250 poems and oil painted over 107 paintings. Her paintings and collection of birds hang on the walls. She and Dar enjoyed traveling to Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, England, Germany, along with 23 trips to the Hawaiian Islands. Dar and Connie spent two years in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Connie volunteered with the Red Cross and Dar worked 27 years at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, California. They moved to West Jordan, Utah in 2006 to be closer to family members and enjoy trips to Arizona, Wyoming, and Southern Utah.

The family wishes to thank the many family, friends, and associates at McDonalds, IHOP, Chili's, Famous Dave's, Village Inn, Office Max, Meals on Wheels and Hearts for Hospice for showing compassion and love for Connie during her illness.
Funeral services will be performed later in California.