'A bright light in this world': Salisbury mourns death of Sunshine the Clown, Sandy Johnson

The Salisbury community lost a sliver of sunshine after well-known local personality Sandy “Sunshine” Johnson died during the early hours of Nov. 18 at the age of 71.

Sandy’s daughter, Sherry Gray, broke the devastating news to family, friends, fans and local community members on Facebook that same day.

“The world got a little darker today,” Gray said. “My mom wouldn’t want you sad, as making people happy is what she lived for.”

Sandy, an entertainer at heart, was known to most as Sunshine the Clown.

The grand idea of clowning first occurred to Sandy at children's party at the Salisbury Moose Lodge. The clown group that was performing asked her to join them. That single moment changed her life forever.

Sandy performed for 37 years in 17 different countries, including seven years living full time in Tokyo, where she was treated like a rock star and was often the "only blonde in the crowd," she previously told Delmarva Now. Throughout it all, she supported herself full time through her clowning.

A combination of health issues, the birth of her grandson and the desire to grow the Sunshine business in her hometown brought Johnson back to Salisbury.

Sunshine Entertainment Company includes six part-time entertainers who perform at parties, festivals, trade shows and corporate events, offering comedy, magic, airbrush face painting, balloon creations, storytelling, puppets and more. According to Sandy, her clown act, in particular, could be used as a tool to teach children good manners too, she previously told the Salisbury Daily Times.

Sandy's classic Sunshine the Clown look consisted of happy, bright colors, perhaps overalls in hot pink or teal with yellow, black, and white accents, or orange pants topped with a colorful vest, and even her purple "happy coat."

Over the years, Sandy found that being a clown brought a fair amount of happiness into her own life.

“When ‘scary’ clowns were a hot topic a few years ago, Sunshine the Clown came on our show to remind us what true clowns are. Wonderful people who bring joy, kindness, happiness and friendship to all they encounter and entertain. Oh, and a little sunshine,” Whiskey and Randy of Froggy 99.9 FM said in a Nov. 18 Facebook post.

“She was such a bright light in this world and in our community. She brought so much joy to so many over the years,” they said. “Thank you for bringing Sunshine wherever you were, Sandy. Your sunshine will always shine bright here!"

MORE:Sunshine the Clown: Laughter truly is the best medicine

More friends continued to share tributes to Sandy online.

“Her entire mission in life was to make others happy and she accomplished that mission many times over,” Steve Marshall, a friend of Sandy’s, said.

Bonnie Smith shared this tribute to Sandy on her Facebook page:

In the days leading up to her passing, Sandy was rushed to the ICU after suffering a major heart attack.

To be a clown is "to want to touch people's hearts and make them smile, make them forget their problems," Sandy previously said. "We give our heart and soul. To be a clown is about laughter and touching someone's heart."

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: 'A bright light': Salisbury mourns death of Sunshine the Clown