(Updated 15/5/01)

Vanessa Johnson - Obituary

VANESSA JOHNSON of Ardessa Airedales, died on April 9 aged 50, after an eighteen month battle against cancer.

She would never have claimed to be in the top league of exhibitors in the breed, having only bred one champion, but took a pride in breeding sound dogs of good temperament which made excellent companions. Vanessa was always happy to help and advise, and took an active if informal role in breed rescue in the north east of England.
She is perhaps best known for awarding Ch. Jokyl This Is My Song, the breed CC record holder, her first ticket.

This was the fist time she awarded CCs and while she may have been lucky to have been presented with such an excellent bitch, I felt extremely proud that she had the confidence to award the ticket to a dog she had never seen or heard of from Post Graduate at her first appointment. At the same show the dog RCC winner subsequently won ‘Pup of the Year’.

Outside the show ring Vanessa obtained at least as much pleasure walking her dogs through the beautiful countryside near and around her home, and having them around her in the evening. A warm, natural, down to earth person, she is and always will be, very sadly missed by her mother, sisters, friends and myself.

Richard Johnson