Ciara J Petri

Ciara Janann Johnson-Buffington, 36, of Hocking Hills, Ohio, formerly of Goldtown, WV won her battle with metastatic melanoma. Ciara was reunited with her mother, Melanie Johnson, at 7:34am on December 11, 2020.

Ciara was an angel long before she gained her wings. She was an amazing mother, daughter, sister, aunt, partner, and friend. She loved life and lived every day with purpose. She was born with a natural ability to connect with people, to make people feel loved just for having known her. She loved with her whole heart, and ours are broken for having lost her.

Ciara was a lifelong member of Fisher Chapel United Methodist Church in Romance, WV. As a child, Ciara was involved in 4-H, where she showed animals at the Jackson County Jr Fair as a member of the Golden Achievers 4-H Club. Ciara loved softball, playing throughout high school and as a member of various leagues as an adult. She had a passion for animals, dedicating a tremendous portion of her life to rescuing and caring for the abused and abandoned. We know that this will be no different in Heaven. In fact, rumor has it, she’s already talked Saint Peter in to letting her set up a kiosk at the Rainbow Bridge where 5 dogs have already been adopted since she arrived.

Ciara also had a passion for hair. She graduated from Artisan School of Cosmetology in 2015. She worked at several different salons throughout WV and Florida, achieving her dream of owning her own studio in Parkersburg, WV. Her cosmetology license listed her as a hair stylist, but she was so much more. Ciara’s chair wasn’t just a place to sit while you had your hair styled. It was a place where you could go to find comfort, laughter, joy, and lots of loving unsolicited advice.

Nothing mattered more to Ciara than love, because she had so much of it to give. She built friendships from the ground up and carried them with her throughout her life. Once you met Ciara, that was it, a piece of her heart was yours forever. She was genuine, kind and always made sure to let everyone know just how much she loved them. The only people who were ever left to question how she felt about them were the significant others of the ones she did love, and well, just so we’re clear…she hated almost everyone’s boyfriend.

While Ciara achieved so much in her lifetime, her greatest achievement was her children. Ciara enjoyed nothing more than watching her daughter, Bailey, dance, sing, make videos, and be completely ridiculous in all of the best ways. Ciara was also blessed to have a daughter like Adriana. Adriana was Ciara’s first true love. They spent countless hours together styling each other’s hair, nails, and giving each other a hard time.

And we can’t leave out the other most important girls in her life. Ciara, or CiCi as she was affectionately known, knew she had two of the best nieces around. She made sure that everyone saw every piece of photographic shenanigans involving Tempe and Gweni. She loved those girls more than she loved herself, and we all knew it.

In 2007, Ciara met the love of her life. Bob Buffington was a bartender at the Misty Blue in Whipple, Ohio when one evening, in trounced a hazel-eyed beauty looking for a cold beer and a hot body. That one beer turned in to a thirteen year love story. Bob loved Ciara more than anything in this whole world, and she loved him the same. Their relationship was built on adventure and took them all over the United States. They loved kayaking, trying new restaurants, boating, Rob, and scuba diving. Also, with Bob’s support, Ciara made a name for herself on the East Coast Karaoke Circuit where she sang her way into the hearts of millions.

Ciara was preceded in death by her loving mother, Melanie Johnson and mother in-law, Tammy Bush. She is survived by her husband, Bob Buffington; daughters, Bailey Jane and Adriana May Buffington; father, Jess Johnson; brother, Justin Johnson (Courtney); sister, Cheyenne Johnson (Chris); and nieces, Gwendolyn Cale and Tempest Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to Boxers Bed & Biscuits in Belpre, Ohio.

“There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone the light remains”

A memorial service will be 5:00 PM on Tuesday, December 15, 2020, at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home with Jennifer McCafferty officiating. Visitation will be 2:00 PM to 5PM Tuesday at the funeral home.