Beloved Temecula Teacher Remembered By Family, Friends

Submitted by the family of Wendy McCrea Johnston

TEMECULA, CA —Wendy Christine Waite McCrea Johnston died unexpectedly in Southern California on Saturday, September 11, 2021. She was 62-years-old.

She was born on April 3rd,1959 in Schenectady, NY to Joyce Oudheusden and the late Michael Waite. She is survived by her husband Church Johnston and children Christopher, his wife Brittany, Samantha, and Churchill; grandchild, Kiah; mother, Joyce Oudheusden; sister Cherlyn; and half sibling, Alexandra, and her husband Daniel Schipul; stepbrother, Peter, and stepsisters: Wendy and her husband Tom Larsen, Lauren, Julie, and her husband Bill Fitzgerald; and nephews, Sean, and Luke; and sister-in-law, Laurie Waite. She is pre-deceased by her father Michael Waite, brother Steven, and stepfather John Oudheusden.

Wendy was devoted to her children and students. She graduated from Staples High School in Westport, CT. She held an undergraduate degree in special education from Southern Connecticut State University and Wheelock College in Boston, and an advanced degree in early childhood special education from California State University San Marcos.

She lovingly taught and mentored hundreds of young children with intellectual and learning disorders, in San Diego and Temecula. Wendy was always popular and well loved by her peers, students, friends, and family. She guided many fellow teachers and teaching assistants through the challenges and joys of special education. Her heart was capable of compassion beyond compare.

Any occasion for which Wendy was present, benefitted from her quick humor, vibrant personality, and playful nature. She was witty, intelligent, well-read, and wise. She loved to decorate and plan for the holidays, spend time at the beach, enjoy music, eat fresh seafood and Italian food, socialize with friends and family, travel, read, bake delicious goodies, and cook her famous red sauce.

Her favorite Christmas movie was “It’s A Wonderful Life,” according to a family spokesperson. She used to always say, “every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings!” We know the beautiful bells of heaven are welcoming you home, angel. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations kindly be made to the National Center for Learning Disabilities in Washington DC (www.ncld.org).

Services will be private.