Susan Johanson

CM
Johanson speaking in 2008
Johanson speaking in 2008
BornSusan Avis Bailey Powell
(1930-07-29)July 29, 1930
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DiedJune 28, 2023(2023-06-28) (aged 92)
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
  • Registered nurse
  • public speaker
  • sex educator
  • writer
Alma mater
Spouse
Ejnor Johanson
​
​
(m. 1953, died 2019)​
Children3
Website
www.talksexwithsue.com

Susan Avis Bailey Johanson CM (née Powell; July 29, 1930[1] – June 28, 2023) was a Canadian registered nurse and sex educator. She operated a birth control clinic in Toronto and hosted a series of radio and television programmes on birth control, safer sex and sexual health. She also published several books and wrote a newspaper column promoting sexual health.

Biography

Early life and career

Johanson was born Susan Avis Bailey Powell in Toronto, Ontario, in 1930 to Wilfrid Powell, a decorated British war hero,[2] and an affluent Ontario-born Irish Protestant mother, Ethel Bell.[3] Her mother died when Johanson was ten.[3] Johanson attended nursing school in St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, graduating as a registered nurse.[4] Soon after, she married a Swedish-Canadian electrician named Ejnor Johanson in 1953.[5][3] They had three children: Carol, Eric, and Jane.[3] The family moved to North York, where Johanson kept house and raised her children.[6]

In 1970, Johanson opened a birth control clinic in Don Mills CI high school, the first of its kind in Canada.[3] She worked there as a coordinator for 18 years.[7] She continued her education at the Toronto Institute of Human Relations (a postgraduate course in counselling and communication), the University of Toronto (family planning), and the University of Michigan (human sexuality), graduating as a counsellor and sex educator.[8]

Radio and television programs

Johanson first achieved popularity as a sex educator and therapist hosting her own show on rock radio station Q107 during the 1980s.[9] The show, entitled Sunday Night Sex Show, transitioned into a TV talk show of the same name on the community television Rogers TV in 1985.[6][9] In 1996, it became a national show on the Women's Television Network (WTN)[8] which ended in 2005.[10]

In January 2002, reruns of the show began to be replayed to American audiences on Oxygen Media.[3] The recorded program was very popular, but American viewers missed the opportunity to call in and ask their own questions.[3] The U.S. version of Sunday Night Sex Show, called Talk Sex with Sue Johanson, produced especially for American audiences, debuted in November 2002 on Oxygen.[3][8]

On May 7, 2008, it was announced that the next Sunday night's episode of the show would be its last, ending the show's run after six seasons.[11]

Johanson made appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.[12]

Acting

Johanson appeared in two episodes of Degrassi Junior High and two episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation. She played Dr. Sally, a radio host and sex educator who served as an in-universe version of Johanson.[13]

Documentary

A full-length documentary about Johanson was released in 2022. Entitled Sex with Sue, the documentary chronicles Johanson's life story, directed by Canadian documentary filmmaker Lisa Rideout.[14]

Death

Johanson died in Thornhill, Ontario, on June 28, 2023.[15][16]

Books

Johanson was the author of three books: Talk Sex (ISBN 0-14-010377-5), Sex Is Perfectly Natural but Not Naturally Perfect (ISBN 0-670-83856-X), and Sex, Sex, and More Sex (ISBN 0-06-056666-3).[17][13]

Johanson was also the author of a weekly column published in the Health section of the Toronto Star newspaper.[8][18]

Awards and honours

Johanson's work educating and informing the public about birth control and sexual health earned her Canada's second highest civilian honour after the Order of Merit, appointment to the Order of Canada as Member (CM) in 2001.[19][20] In 2010, Johanson was presented with the Bonham Centre Award from the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies for her contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Sue Johanson, Who Talked Sex With Aplomb, Dies at 92 from the New York Times date 7 July 2023
  2. ↑ "Powell, Wilfrid Bayley". Kenora Great War Project. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Deziel, Shanda; George, Lianne (June 10, 2004). "Sue Johanson (Profile)". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  4. ↑ Joundi, Talia (February 1, 2011). "Campus Beat: Sue Johanson proved a popular personality among U of M students". The Manitoban. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  5. ↑ Moore, Frazier (April 4, 2003). "A 'grandma you can talk to'". San Mateo Daily Journal. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Hampson, Sarah (January 25, 2003). "The lady's not for blushing". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  7. ↑ Navarro, Mireya (February 19, 2004). "Instead of Dr. Ruth, a Nurse Called Sue". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Sue Johanson, RN". webmd.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 "Sexual diversity centre at U of T to give citizenship award to renowned Oxygen network sex educator Sue Johanson". media.utoronto.ca. University of Toronto Media Room. September 9, 2010. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Johanson's sex show cancelled". The Globe and Mail. July 11, 2005. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Oxygen's 'Talk Sex' is ending run". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. May 7, 2008. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ Benchetrit, Jenna (October 9, 2022). "How Sue Johanson, Canada's 'grandma with a pottymouth,' became the country's leading sexpert". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "From nursing to acting: Highlights of sex educator Sue Johanson's career". Vancouver Is Awesome. The Canadian Press. June 29, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ "New Doc Explores Life and Work of Sex Educator Sue Johanson". Global News. September 28, 2022. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Sue Johanson, Canada's sex educator, dead at 93". CTVNews.ca. June 29, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  16. ↑ Benchetrit, Jenna; Stechyson, Natalie (June 29, 2023). "Sue Johanson, beloved Canadian sex educator, dead at 93". CBC News. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Talking sex: Sue Johanson getting a doctorate from LU". sudbury.com. October 29, 2015. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ Singh, Mina; Cameron, Cherylyn; LoBiondo-Wood, Geri; Haber, Judith (October 24, 2017). Nursing Research in Canada – E-Book: Methods, Critical Appraisal, and Utilization. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-77172-094-6.
  19. ↑ "Ms. Sue Johanson". Governor-General of Canada. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Order of Canada". archive.gg.ca. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
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