April 4, 1943 - April 18, 2008

Janet Kay Kennell Johnson died Friday in Portland after battling cancer for nine years. Jan was born in Portland to Ken and Ruth Kennell. She graduated from Oregon State University.

While working as an executive secretary at Georgia-Pacific, she met her husband, Jim Johnson. They married in November 1968. They have two sons, Jim and Jeff. Jan volunteered in many capacities as a room mother, chaperone and was the quintessential band mom. She was a board member of the Cedar Mill Community Library.

Jan had a great love of music, travel, skiing, baseball and gardening, each of which she shared with Jim. They attended many concerts, including nephew Scott's when he attended Linus Pauling, high school musicals, recitals and marching band competitions. They also attended many Corvallis High School Spartan basketball games to watch nephew Dan. Travels included trips to Europe and several cruises. Jan loved walking on Oregon and Hawaiian beaches. She arranged flowers from her garden for friends and for the enjoyment of other chemo patients. She often made presentation flowers for Portland State University opera productions. She was a wonderful homemaker. Family and friends hold many memories of holiday celebrations. She was always enchanted when it began to snow and had a large collection of snowmen.

Jan is survived by her husband, Jim; sons Jim and Jeff; and mother Ruth Kennell, all of Portland; sisters Barb Evers of Spokane, Wash., and Nancy Miller Paul of Corvallis; niece Heather Jarvis of Helena, Mont.; and nephews Jared Evers of Spokane, Wash., Dan Miller and Scott Miller of Corvallis.

A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, at the Finley-Sunset Hills Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, Jan suggested contributions be made to the marching bands of either Oregon Stage University or the University of Oregon.