Joahn Johannesen was born in Waco, TX December 1, 1934, and died January 21, 2017, at home in Richland WA, exiting her body just in time for her spirit to join 175,000 of her feminist friends in Seattle’s Women’s March. She lived in Burien, WA from 1959 until 2008.

Jo married Jacob Johannesen in 1954. By 1959, they had four children. They raised their children in Burien WA. When her children were mostly grown, she returned to school and completed her bachelor’s degree from Western Washington State University in Human Services. She worked as a counselor at Domestic Abuse Women’s Network in Kent. After retirement and Jake’s death, she lived on the beach on Puget Sound in West Seattle. She moved to Richland in 2012 to escape Seattle traffic after a harrowing pas de deux with a logging truck on I-5.
Jo is survived by sister, Jan McMillan; children, Judi Johannesen (Gilmar Jorge), Jon Johannesen (Debbi Truitt), and Jack Johannesen (Margaret Johannesen); grandchildren, Jesse Johannesen and Alessandra Jorge-Dearing (Jason Dearing); great-grandchildren, Jake Johannesen Jorge, Aurora Dearing, and Lucas Dearing; best friend, Lorrie Walker; sweetheart, Bob Pittman; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jake and son, Jim Johannesen. Groups of women that were particularly special to Jo across her life were Seattle NOW, DAWNettes, Crones, and Sage Hens.
A service to celebrate Jo’s life will be held Saturday, February 4th, at 2:00 p.m., at Shalom United Church of Christ, 505 McMurray, Richland, WA 99354. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to Domestic Abuse Women’s Network (Kent) or Shalom UCC (Richland).
Published in the Highline Times section of the Westside Weekly, February 3, 2017