Jeanette (Wright) Johnson was born on January 29, 1949, in Chicago,

Illinois, to the union of James Walter Wright, III and Dorothy Wright in

Chicago, Illinois. Jeanette grew up on the city’s West Side and

graduated from Farragut High School in 1966. After high school, she

married Melvin Johnson after he was inducted into the Navy, and they

moved to Hawaii. Upon returning from Hawaii, Jeanette graduated

from the University of Illinois, Circle Campus with a Bachelor of Arts in

Communications and Theatre. She became a mother in 1972 to

Damien Johnson and went on to build a life defined by perseverance

and hard work.

Jeanette’s career began in the banking industry before spending more

than 20 years at Children’s Memorial Hospital. Later, she returned to

school to earn a nursing degree and went on to work as a clinical trial

research nurse at Abbott Laboratories and Lundbeck.

Throughout her life, she was known for her strength, determination,

independence, generosity and unmistakable sense of style. She

believed in doing things the right way, treating people with respect and

helping others whenever she could. She treasured her many

friendships and enjoyed spending as much time as she could with

family and friends.

Jeanette was preceded in death by both parents. She leaves to cherish

her life: her son, Damien Johnson (wife Dayna, and granddaughter

Zadie); her siblings, sister Marjorie, and brothers James W. Wright IV

and James Adolph Wright, nephews Felipe (his wife Ariel and their

children Julian and Oliva), Alexander Wright, niece Jamie Wright; and a

host of extended family members, friends, and colleagues.