In 2012, Peggy Pipes-Johnson established the Grant T. Johnson Memorial Fund for Arts & Culture to honor her late husband, his service and dedication to the Hillsboro community, and his support for arts and culture. “She could see his passion for the arts in the community, and because of her love for him and wanting to further that passion, she established the fund with her donation of $50,000”, says Fred Johnson, the youngest of Grant T. Johnson’s four children. When Peggy passed away early last year— her estate leaving $776,938 to the Memorial Fund— the Johnson family renamed the fund to honor Peggy’s life and the love she shared with their father as well.
Grant T. Johnson was an “active promoter” willing to make phone calls, fundraise, and knock on doors to promote community needs. “He was known as passionate and constantly pounded on the table for arts and culture,” Fred remembers. In 1980, as chairman of the Hillsboro Chamber’s Long Range Planning Committee, Grant led an effort to work with a Rural/Urban Design Assistance Team investigating how to assist Hillsboro, once a small rural community, in its urbanization without losing its identity. The report revealed that a thriving arts and culture community was crucial to the community’s success. “His love for the arts with the combination of the R/UDAT study made him appreciate even more the importance of the arts in building a community.”
Grant T. Johnson and Peggy Pipes married late in life. At 67 years old, Peggy relocated, gained a new family, and adjusted to a new community as she settled down in Hillsboro with her new husband. Through Grant, she got to know community members and became involved in the Hillsboro arts and culture scene as well. “She was very much an arts-minded person too,” says Fred as he reflects on his stepmother’s life. Together, Grant and Peggy were two individuals who had a powerful desire to give more than they took and leave Hillsboro a better place because of their involvement. They were interested in improving the quality of life for Hillsboro residents and viewed arts and culture as an important facet of that effort.
Over the last 13 years, the Grant T. Johnson & Peggy Pipes-Johnson Memorial Fund has been a supportive force for the blossoming arts and culture scene in Hillsboro. The Oregon Chorale—a group the Johnson family has long been fans of—has received grants from the fund that have supported the involvement of high school students in their productions. Other recent recipients include the Westside Community & Youth Orchestra, the Hillsboro Historical Society, and the Friends of the HART. The artistic endeavors of these organizations have successfully brought a blossoming community of arts and culture appreciation to Hillsboro.
The projects the fund has impacted have demonstrated the type of community involvement and commitment to Hillsboro that was important to Grant T. Johnson. One of the requirements for the grant application is to discuss Grant’s contributions to the Hillsboro community. “Peggy didn’t just do that to keep the memory of my father alive; she did that to remind future applicants that community involvement is essential in what they’re trying to do,” says Fred Johnson.
Asked about the Johnson family’s hopes for the future of the fund, Fred Johnson responds that their goals are smaller than their aspirations for the future of arts and culture in Hillsboro as a whole. “We want notable arts community endeavors that cause people to get excited about art… We want the fund to be a fledgling of what’s to follow so that people devote more money to this or other funds and to grow that pool of resources that the local arts community can use.”
To contribute to the Grant T. Johnson & Peggy Pipes-Johnson Memorial Fund, click here.
In existence since 1986, the Hillsboro Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Hillsboro by supporting local programs, services, and initiatives. Through community giving, grantmaking, and donor partnerships, the Foundation strengthens the social, cultural, educational, and civic fabric of the region.
To learn more about the Hillsboro Community Foundation, visit www.hcf-or.org.
