The Johnson family requests tribute gifts to the Ella Elizabeth Johnson Endowment in support of mental health and well-being at WashU. In honor of Ella Johnson, this fund supports Washington University in St. Louis’s efforts to develop an innovative framework for student well-being, strengthening behavioral health support at WashU and informing approaches that may be shared with other campuses over time.
Senior Ella Elizabeth Johnson of Belmont, Mass., died Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, after a long and difficult struggle with mental health challenges. Johnson, 21, was studying psychological and brain sciences and Spanish in Arts & Sciences.
Johnson is remembered by the WashU community as a gifted researcher, talented artist, and caring classmate who showed her compassion for others in acts big and small, whether it be creating a handmade scrapbook to celebrate a friend’s birthday, helping fellow undergraduate researchers clean their data, or giving a neighbor a last-minute ride to the airport.
Ella Elizabeth Johnson Memorial Service