Jordana Nicole Greenberg

Jordana Nicole Greenberg (“Jojo”) was born on November 2, 2001 in Washington, D.C. to fortunate parents Sonya Spielberg and Jonathan Greenberg, and devoted sister Carina Rose, and departed us on November 27, 2017. She was a vivacious, loving and warm ray of sunshine who brightened the lives of all she touched. Jojo lived a big and bold life, and her enthusiasm for life was infectious. In her short 16 years on earth, she enjoyed acting (Kids Acting Austin), painting, volleyball (St. Stephens in Austin; Metro and the AHC Tartans in the DC area), animal rights and protection (Walt Whitman), yoga teacher training (Corepower Yoga, Bethesda), working at her hair salon in Vienna, and her AA community. She travelled extensively with her family and abroad, including to: Italy, London, Paris, Belize, Canada, Alaska, Costa Rica (where she rappelled down a mountain), and all over the United States. Jojo was known for her whacky sense of humor, including ridiculous school photos and wearing intergalactic space kitten shirts. The things that made her happiest in life include: her family (including 14 cousins and many loving aunts and uncles), her friends (too many to list), painting, sunsets, the way the water moved in the wind, snowboarding, music, the Best Buddies program and a genuine connection to others. She was a passionate animal rights activist and vegetarian. Jojo had a voracious appetite for adventure and had plans to join the Air Force as a paratrooper. Her favorite class at Walt Whitman was Arabic, and she hoped to use that in her career. Among her many gifts was her ability for a deep connection and spreading her infectious joy. Her family would like to thank the Bethesda, Austin and Colorado communities (and especially Walt Whitman High School and Academy of the Holy Cross) for their incredible outpouring of support. Jojo fought a hard battle against depression for years, and her heart was simply too big to hold the pain of life. Every day was a struggle, despite her sunny disposition and much friend and family support, but she is now finally at peace. Services for family and friends will be held Friday, December 1, at 1:00 p.m. at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Her family would like to ask that we all reach out in a loving way every day to those who may be silently suffering, and help raise awareness for teen depression. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).