Brenda Pearl Mapleleaf Fernandez-Johnson of Roxbury and Bourne, Massachusetts, passed away on October 29, 2022, after a battle with heart disease. She worked for the Massachusetts Transit Authority for over 22 years and was a member of the National Guard and military police for OTIS Air Force Base. After retiring, she worked as a housing case manager for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe. Brenda enjoyed spending time with her family and laughing with friends. She was loud, funny, and always willing to help when needed.

She was the leader of the pack. People depended on her to make sure things got done. She always went above and beyond what was expected. No job was just a job; when she coordinated housing for the tribe, she didn’t just find the families a place to live, but she would spend time uplifting them and helping them get the items they needed to be comfortable.

Brenda redefined the phrase hard for a woman to raise a man. She was a mother mentor to many boys who came through her home—often sacrificing to get what her boys needed. People sometimes may have taken advantage of her because she had such a big heart. She did not hold her tongue when someone needed to hear it. She was always a family woman.

She leaves behind her husband, Jefferson Johnson of Roxbury, her two sons, Christopher Fernandes of Roxbury and Justin A. Fernandes-Johnson of Roxbury. Her stepdaughter Danielle McFarland, Justin Williams, fosterson and predeceased step-son Corey Johnson.  Four grandchildren, Justine F. Lachance, Shaylee Green-Fernandes, Joy Isabelle Fernandes, and Arielle Faith Fernandes, survive Brenda. Her mother, Rhoda May-Tobey- Fernandes, her siblings Coreen V. Moore of Sagamore, Wayne H. Fernandes of Bourne, Darcy Fernandes of Buzzards Bay, Brice Fernandes of Onset, Timmy Fernandes of Onset and Henry Fernandes of Atlanta, also survive her.

Services werel be held at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Center, 483 Great Neck Road South Mashpee, MA, on Sunday, November 6, 2022