Janice “Jan” Johnson passed away in her home on Aug. 21, 2020, surrounded by her family and friends. She had endured a long battle with cancer.

Janice was born on July 18, 1940, to Victor and Gjerdie (Hagen) Grindy of Lignite, N.D. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and attending church was a very important part of her life.

After high school graduation, she moved to the Seattle area and then to Whidbey Island, Wash., where she became a lifelong member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Clinton, Wash. In later years, she became a member of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, Wash., where she and Dick made their home. She was a very faithful servant of the Lord.

Jan loved life and people and had the ability to make everyone she met feel loved and important to her. She loved dancing, decorating, playing cards and, of course, long conversations on the phone with family and friends. Jan had the biggest and best smile ever.

Jan married Robert C. Brown and was blessed with one son, Robert L. “Bob” Brown, who was her pride and joy.

In 1975, she married Richard “Dick” Johnson, who brought four beautiful daughters into her life to also love and cherish. All together they made a wonderful blended family. Also a very special part of their family was her sister Connie’s daughter, Annette, who was lovingly called the fifth daughter, as Annette’s own mother had died at a very early age.

After the kids were grown, Jan and Dick owned two video stores, Video South and Video South Too, and made many new friends. They also motor-homed for several years and enjoyed traveling.

Jan is survived by her husband, Dick Johnson; one son, Bob (Amie) Brown; five daughters, Kari (Mark) Freitag, Lori (Dale) Olsen, Wendy (Gary) Johnson, Christie (Ronnie) Olmos and sister Connie’s daughter, Annette (Darrin) Braaten; 20 grandchildren who lovingly called her “Nana,” Dakota (Haileigh), Jered, Frederick (Joyce), Micky (Nick), John, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Abi, Ahni (Matt), Nathan (Niki), Christopher (Haley), Casey (Rachel), Kayla (Ben), Spencer, Seth, Eian, Aaron, Nathan (Abbie), Megan and Mikayla; 13 great-grandchildren, Kinsley, Brynlee, Fritz, Joseph, Giane, Georgiana, Gillian, Izac, Alli, Lleana, Ella, Rylan, and Sophia; four brothers, Larry (Joan) Grindy, Wayne (Marguerite) Grindy, Doug Johnson, Lee Johnson; one sister, Lavinia (Bill) Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were grandparents, Lars and Sena Grindy and Carl and Emma Scanson; father, Victor Grindy; mother, Gjerdie (Hagen Grindy) Johnson; second father, Louis Johnson; sister, Connie Grindy Camandona; infant brother, Leroy Grindy; Margaret (Mac) McDonald; and Clay (Georgia) Johnson.

She will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date because of the COVID-19 pandemic.