Tami Pipenhagen-Johnson, 61

Tami Pipenhagen-Johnson, 61, passed away peacefully at her home in Hayden, Idaho, on April 2, 2025, surrounded by her husband and daughter.

Born on April 15, 1963, in Anoka, Minn., to Kenneth and Bernice (Palmer) Pipenhagen, Tami was the youngest of three children.

While attending college at Vermilion Community College in Northern Minnesota in 1981, Tami met the love of her life, Lonnie, and the two were wed in 1989 at the Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park in Cataldo, Idaho. They welcomed their daughter, Willow, in 1994.

Tami developed a lifelong love for nature and helping others, and carried that passion into her career, spending over 20 years with the Idaho State Parks Department. As a park ranger and later a grants specialist, she made a lasting impact on conservation efforts across the state. She founded the Pend Oreille Birds of Prey Raptor Rehabilitation Center in Farragut State Park, a project that reflected her deep care for wildlife.

Tami held degrees in Parks and Recreation Management and Elementary Education and found her purpose in the natural world and civil service. She later worked at the Idaho Department of Labor in Post Falls, Idaho, where she was known for her empathy and dedication to helping people in need.

An avid gardener, Tami loved being outside, where she enjoyed hiking and the peace of nature. Her generosity, wisdom and humor touched everyone who knew her.

Tami is survived by her loving husband, Lonnie; her daughter, Willow; son-in-law James; grandchildren Avery and Forest; her brother, Jon (Debra); sister Lorie (Todd Anderson); and numerous nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ken and Bernice.

A celebration of Tami’s life will take place Friday, June 6, 2025, at Farragut State Park. The family requests that you contact them for more details.

Please visit Tami’s online memorial and sign her guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.