Johnna Kathryn Pimentel, 49
Johnna Kathryn Pimentel, 49, of Ashburn, Va., died July 20, 2010, in Leesburg, Va., after courageously battling an aggressive case of cancer that began as melanoma. Johnna was born to Sharon and (George) Roger Wilson on Feb. 20, 1961, in Coeur d'Alene.
In 1970 her family moved to Columbia Falls, Mont., just outside Glacier National Park. She and her family enjoyed camping and picnics in Glacier, skiing on Big Mountain in Whitefish, Mont., and traveling to see family in Coeur d'Alene. She graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1979, attended Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Mont., and the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont.
Johnna joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1985, and served six years. She was promoted to Sergeant March 1, 1990. She finished her B.A. at National University and then went on for her M.A. in business while in the Marine Corps. After her time in the military, Johnna worked for the Federal Government for more than 23 years. She started with the Small Business Administration and eventually became a Senior Intelligence Research Specialist with the Department of Treasury. In 2009, she was recognized with an Outstanding Customer Service Award by the Department of Treasury. Johnna was also an avid crafts enthusiast who enjoyed cross stitching and continued her mother's tradition of knitting baby afghans for her friends and co-workers.
Five years ago, Johnna met the love of her life, Victor Pimentel of the Dominican Republic. They were married Dec. 1, 2007.
She is also survived by her father and wife Joan of Coeur d'Alene; brothers, Emery Wilson and wife Mary of Portland, Ore., Sam Wilson and partner Dan Stern of Seattle, Wash.; sister Megan Field, husband Steve and nephew Lee of Helena, Mont.; two aunts, Ja-Neé Newby of Coeur d'Alene and Kaye Wilson of Apache Junction, Ariz.; two uncles, Jack Russell and wife Kathy of Milwaukie, Ore., James Russell and wife Janice Gega of Portland, Ore., and a host of other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Sharon Russell Wilson; her grandparents, Lee and Mary Russell and Alvie (Doc) and Thelma Wilson; and her uncle, Rod Newby.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, at St Pius X Catholic Church, 625 E. Haycraft Ave., Coeur d'Alene, with Father Roger LaChance officiating. A luncheon will follow at St. Pius Church. Interment will be at the St. Thomas Cemetery in Coeur d'Alene.
Memorial donations may be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation, 170 Township Line Road, Building B, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 or Doctors Without Borders, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
Please sign Johnna's guest registry and view her online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.