Remembering Connie Johnson at the Chef Connie Memorial Garden
Friends and family recall the beloved mentor, mom and creator of a unique culinary arts program that had northwest Baltimore kids catering large groups and serving gourmet meals
Above: Gathered at the memorial garden to honor Chef Connie Johnson, from left, Kim Trueheart, with Johnson’s sister, Heather Hitchcock, and mother, Jeanne Hitchcock. (Photo by her aunt, Cheryl Hitchcock)
A chef and youth mentor, dedicated to passing along her love of cooking to kids, Connie Johnson particularly liked to introduce them to the wonders of herbs like basil and rosemary.
So it was fitting that one way the community is remembering Johnson, who died in April, is through the Chef Connie Memorial Herb Garden, at the Liberty Rec & Tech Center in northwest Baltimore where she was a familiar fixture.
“Connie’s family came together to paint bricks in the memorial garden – it was really nice,” said Rec & Tech Center founder Kim Trueheart, who worked with Johnson on a number of projects for area children, from the youth basketball program to cooking classes and more.
• Farewell to Chef Connie, kitchen mentor to the kids of West Baltimore (4/17/23)
Trueheart sent photos from this past weekend when Johnson was remembered by family, friends, youth basketball team members and others from the community at the Rec Center at 3901 Maine Avenue.
ABOVE: Participants in the Liberty Rec and Tech Center’s youth basketball program join the gathering at the Chef Connie Memorial Garden. BELOW: Family members paint rocks for the garden. (Cheryl Hitchcock)
