Stella Yu Ying Johnson

Johnson, Stella Yu Ying

Age 71 of Apple Valley passed away unexpectedly on Monday, February 17, 2025. She was a beloved mother, partner, and friend. Preceded in death by father, Chun Sing Wong; and husband, William “Bill” Patterson. Survived by children, Kristen (Luke) and Alex (Melissa); partner, Jaber Alsiddiqui; mother, Mai Yuet Law; and many other family members and friends.

In addition to her family, Stella loved knitting, reading, walking around the local parks, snowshoeing, making egg rolls, outdoor Twins games, and participating in International Habitat for Humanity projects. She was an avid traveler having visited Canada, China, Dubai, El Salvador, Iceland, Kuwait, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Portugal, Spain, and Zambia.

She was fiercely independent and incredibly brave. First of her family to leave Hong Kong, Stella came to the United States to further her education at the age of 19 with only a suitcase and $200 to her name. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a Bachelor in Business Administration and later from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Business Administration. She dedicated her entire life to school district finance with the majority of her time (25 years) being spent with District 196. As a testament to her excellence, she received multiple awards for her work including both the Meritorious Budget Award from Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) and the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials (MASBO).

Although she was successful in her career, Stella took great pride in and dedicated her life towards being a phenomenal mother. Everything she did was to love, care for, and protect her children. When asked how she wanted to be remembered, Stella emphasized living a life of gratitude and service. “I believe that kindness can change lives, heal wounds and most importantly help others.” Her generosity, sassy sense of humor, and spark will be forever missed as she leaves a big hole in all of the lives she touched.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, February 26, 2025 beginning with visitation at 10am followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11am at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 16200 Dodd Ln, Lakeville, MN. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) or Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org) are preferred.