Dr. Beth Johnson

Dr. Beth Leigh Gibbs Johnson, born August 11, 1966, in Portsmouth, Virginia, passed away quietly at home on February 12, 2026, holding the hand of her husband, Preston—the man she met and fell in love with 42 years earlier when they were students at Rice University. Beth and Preston married in 1991, and she began her life as an Army wife, creating a home for them wherever the Army sent them.

Even as she supported Preston through each new assignment, Beth pursued her own calling in medicine. She earned her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and went on to practice medicine in Virginia, North Carolina, and finally Iowa after Preston’s retirement from the Army. During those years, she also welcomed her two sons, Preston Ellis Johnson III and Benjamin Neal Johnson, who became the center of her world.

When Beth and her family settled in Mount Vernon, Iowa, she embraced her new community wholeheartedly. She became an active member of the United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon, where she taught Sunday School, played in the Handbell Choir, and volunteered for many summers with Vacation Bible School. As her boys entered Scouting, she stepped into leadership roles in both Cub Scouts (Pack 40) and Boy Scouts (Troop 40), serving as Scoutmaster and Treasurer. She was immensely proud to see both Preston III and Benjamin earn their Eagle Scout ranks. When they later worked at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, she cherished every opportunity to visit them, explore the ranch, and hike in the mountains with her boys.

Music and the arts were lifelong passions for Beth. An accomplished pianist and violinist in her youth, she continued to support the arts throughout her life. Her encouragement inspired her sons to participate in band, orchestra, and choir, and she never missed a concert, a school musical, or a performance by Orchestra Iowa or Theatre Cedar Rapids. Trips to New York to see Broadway shows became an annual tradition, as did trips to Las Vegas—and she especially treasured any chance to see her favorite band, *NSYNC.

Above all else, Beth loved being surrounded by family—both the one she was born into and the one she built. She was happiest at Christmas gatherings in Liberty, Texas, on the beaches of Pensacola, on ski trips to Crested Butte, or in her own kitchen preparing meals for the people she loved. That deep love for her family sustained her through a courageous 23-year battle with cancer.

When first diagnosed, Beth was told she had only months to live. She set her first goal: to see her boys take their first steps and say “Momma.” She reached that milestone, then set another—to see them off to their first day of school. Then another—to see them graduate from high school. Each time, she faced surgeries, treatments, and setbacks with extraordinary bravery and grace. If a doctor said, “This gives you the best chance at more time,” she answered, “I’m in,” and set a new goal. Her determination gave her family decades of precious bonus years—years that will forever be cherished by all who loved her.

Beth is survived by her husband of 35 years, Preston Ellis Johnson II; beloved sons, Preston Ellis Johnson III and Benjamin Neal Johnson; and her much-loved dog, Scout. She is also survived by her brother, Randy Gibbs (Cheryl); sisters-in-law, Lamar Iverson (Neal), Barbara Norwood (Ronny), and Deb Boot (Ken); and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Doris Turney Gibbs and Howard Benjamin Gibbs, Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired); and brother, Kenneth Gibbs.

A Memorial Service will be held at the United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon on [date to be determined]. In accordance with her wishes, Beth’s ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, where her husband will one day be laid to rest beside her.