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Carol Johnsen, 78, of Vancouver, WA died April 10, 2025 at the Ray Hickey Hospice
House in Vancouver.
Born in 1946 in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of Lucille (Lokos) Johnsen Stelling
and Henry Johnsen.
Carol grew up in Edina, MN, which was growing up with her. In 1956, she was among the
first to shop at Southdale, a new climate-controlled mall unlike anything seen before in the
U.S., and, in 1958, among the first to swim in the new Municipal Pool. In high school, Carol
was an excellent oboe soloist in the concert band and a percussionist with the marching
band at sporting events and parades. At all times, she enjoyed the company of her friends
and made sure to keep them close.
After graduating from Edina-Morningside High School in 1964, Carol eagerly moved on
to discover life away from home at the University of Minnesota. She eventually settled into
the exciting world of Cedar-Riverside, where her interest in folk music and the blossoming
counterculture was stoked. Carol ’s schoolwork led to a degree in English in 1969 and a job
as a staff writer at the University news service.
After the 1972 death of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Berryman, a professor at the
University, Carol took on the challenge of writing and producing I Don't Think I Will Sing
Anymore Just Now, a moving retrospective featured on PBS. With this impressive film to her
credit, Carol was able to move on and become a project coordinator for several commercial
film production companies in Minneapolis. That work, and actor friends who had been
pulled westward by opportunities in television and film, convinced her to move to
California.
With just her dog Josh and some high hopes, she drove her 1968 Camaro convertible
into the West.
Carol's knack for delivering unexpected and appealing content gained quick
appreciation at West Coast film companies, where she first found work as a researcher and
associate producer on several syndicated documentaries. In a quick pivot, she filled in as a
production assistant for a few episodes of the Lou Grant series. Then she was part of a team
writing Lifepod, a science-fiction adventure film enhanced by her editing talent and ear for
dialogue. With expertise in designing and producing special effects, along with storytelling
skills, Carol and her partners turned to title sequences for TV series, rising quickly to the
top in that market. Their agency, Castle Bryant Johnsen, designed, produced and directed
opening titles for hundreds of shows, including Cheers, The X-Files, Frasier, Becker and As
the World Turns. As a designer, Carol won three national Emmy Awards for her colorful and
innovative work.
Her principal partner in this work and all that came after was Bruce Bryant. For Bruce,
the first hurdle he had faced was the Josh test; would Carol's faithful companion accept
him? As it turned out, Josh was a big fan. With that challenge met, Carol and Bruce
eventually married in 1985. For the next 40 years, their life together was an astonishing
mix of hard work, fun, friendships and four-legged family.
After first living together in North Hollywood, Carol and Bruce moved to Vancouver, WA.
As Bryant/Johnsen Media Design, they expanded the services they offered to include
designing, writing and consulting for small businesses and individuals. Eventually, they
launched another small business, JumboBumbo.com, an online gift gallery showcasing
unique items created by more than 70 artists. An insatiable NBA fan, Carol brought her
feelings for the Clippers with her from Los Angeles but also opened her heart to the nearby
Trailblazers. And out of family loyalty, she occasionally rooted for the Boston Celtics.
Bruce and Carol shared a love of animals, and over all their years together rescued
countless dogs and cats, bringing them into the family. Carol wrote of two adoptees: "We
added two more dogs to the Lodge Clan. Loba - a German Shepherd mix we found in the
middle of the Hollywood Freeway at rush hour. Sparky - a golden/Chow mix followed us home
one hot summer day. We put ads in the paper, descriptive 'found' signs all around but to no
avail. How do they find us?" That mystery was never solved despite the great abundance of
tail-wagging clues.
Carol is survived by her brother Dan Johnsen, niece Molly Johnsen, nephews Bart-
Johnsen Harris and Homer Johnsen, as well as several other loving extended family
members and many friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her
sister Amy Johnsen-Harris, and so many grateful critters.
Anyone who spent time with Carol will know her quick mind, strong will and inclination
to kindness. She wanted nothing more than for our world to be a place of delight.
https://www.evergreenstaples.com/obituaries/Carol-Johnsen?obId=42071751
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Michael Ponsor
I was saddened to read of Carol Johnson's death, but impressed to learn some details of her life. Carol and I were each others' very awkward dates for the 1963 Junior/Senior prom. We didn't know each other well, but we both wanted to attend the event, and of course at that time only couples could go. Some weeks prior to the prom -- in an effort, I think, to try to get to know each other before the Big Night -- we went to a Twins game together. It was a night game, very cold in late-April Minnesota, and very boring. We were both shy and making conversation as the game ground along endlessly was teenage agony. When the ninth inning finally ended, and we could go home, we left the park. -- the old stadium in Bloomington -- and I realized that I was so nervous when we arrived that I had forgotten where my car, a '56 VW bug, was parked. We had to wait in the icy wind while the lot cleared out, and the car was at last visible. She was less openly annoyed than she could have been, and I think we went on to have a reasonably forgettable prom experience. Carol's life seems to have gone steadily up since our night at the ball game. If there is fun to be had in the great beyond, I hope she is having it. She was a smart, generous-spirited young woman, and those qualities seem to have persisted.