Debbie Kay Johnson

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Debbie Kay Johnson (née Pittman), age 70, who left us on December 16, 2025, in Columbia, Maryland.

Born in Mora, Minnesota, on June 9, 1955, to Greta (née Bauer) and Lyle Pittman, Debbie lived a life marked by brilliance and joy. Whether she was navigating the complexities of her work as a paraprofessional accountant in Nevada, Missouri, or sharing a joke with a friend, her keen intellect and infectious laugh were her trademarks. To know Debbie was to know a laugh that could brighten the darkest room and a loyalty that never wavered.

Debbie’s greatest pride was her family. She was the beloved wife of Glenn Edward Johnson for 41 years, and the cherished mother of her two children, Jennifer and Paul, who will forever carry her spirit with them. At the beginning of their marriage, Debbie resided in the Philippines and northern Illinois in support of Glenn’s career in the U.S. Navy, prior to returning to their home in the Iron Range in Minnesota to start a family. Their professional ambitions led them to establish a new home in Nevada, Missouri, where Glenn achieved significant success as an engineer at 3M and where Debbie served local communities at the accounting firm Daniel & Associates.

As a mother, Debbie inspired her children to pursue many of her shared interests, including reading, music, art, and lifelong learning. To that end, she was happiest in a museum, whether in Kansas City, Chicago, or Washington, D.C. She was very proud to visit Jennifer and Paul while they attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, to celebrate football wins and their academic achievements alike. And while southwest Missouri may not have provided the ice hockey atmosphere she grew up enjoying, she didn’t let that keep her from becoming an avid fan of the Colorado Avalanche.

In her final act, Debbie delighted staff and friends who knew her at Charter Senior Living in Columbia, Maryland, a place where she flourished under the care of kind and generous caregivers, who particularly enjoyed her dynamic presence and love of dancing, bingo, and watching Little House on the Prairie. Charter even reinvigorated Debbie’s interests in crafts, bowling, and enjoying nature and activities with close friends.

Debbie is survived by her brother, Ron Pittman; sister, Darlene Orehek (née Pittman); daughter, Jennifer Johnson; son, Paul Johnson; and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to gather to honor her memory at Cron-Sheehy Funeral Home in Eveleth, Minnesota on December 22, 2025. The visitation service will take place from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST. A subsequent memorial service will be planned for spring 2026, also in Eveleth.

To honor Debbie’s legacy of giving, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) in place of floral arrangements.