Jessie Lee Johns

Jessie Lee (Ginn) Johns, born in Newnan, Georgia on September 20, 1946 went to her eternal home on December 29, 2025 following an extended illness. She is survived by her devoted husband of 57 years, Wendell G. Johns; her cherished daughter, Denise (Johns) Tompkins and her husband, Jay Tompkins whom she expressly loved like a son; her beloved son, Andrew Johns, his wife, Michelle (Cannella) Johns whom she deeply loved, and their two children, Emily and Ben. Jessie loved her grandchildren with everything she was. Her grandchildren, who christened her Gaga, were, without question, her greatest joy. Jessie was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Mildred (Meeker) Ginn, brothers Joe Lovelace and Victor Ginn, and sister, Geneva (Ginn) Powers. Jessie grew up in Fairburn, Georgia, where her parents built and ran a small grocery store on Highway 29 known as Joe Ginn Grocery. She had a happy childhood she often compared to the fictional Mayberry. The store was run as a family effort and, while she did work in the store, she took on many of the domestic responsibilities of running a home while her parents actively ran the grocery store. As with the vast majority of responsibilities she was faced with, Jessie took on the tasks with a willing heart. She truly possessed and will forever be remembered as possessing an admirable and unwavering spirit of service which she credited to her love for and relationship with Jesus. It was in an English literature class at the University of West Georgia (Carrollton) that Jessie met Wendell. They fell in love and were married in 1968 after she graduated with a Bachelor of Science. Wendell served in the Air Force, and the couple moved first to Colorado Springs, Colorado, then on to Biloxi, Mississippi where their daughter, Denise, was born. Their final station was in Sacramento, California. At that point, Wendell entered the private sector and the family relocated to Richland, Washington. Their son, Andy, was born soon thereafter. Being a southerner, Jessie was not fond of the cold winters and short days. She found her footing both personally and professionally when the family relocated to Carlsbad, New Mexico. When her children were in their teens, Jessie began substitute teaching. That ignited her passion for elementary education and she was quickly hired to teach third grade at Puckett Elementary in Carlsbad. It was during this time she earned her Master in Education. She retired in 2007. One of her students once asked her, "Mrs. Johns, do you love teaching?" to which she thought for a moment and replied, "I really do love it." The young boy looked at her with the often unseen wisdom and acute perception of youth and smiled as he said, "No, Mrs. Johns, you just love kids." Jessie longed to return to Georgia and, upon retirement, she and Wendell moved to Newnan to both return her to her beloved home state but, really, so she could be near her two children and their spouses, all of whom she loved beyond question. Wendell bought house planning books and let Jessie pick out the home they would go on to build and which the builder dubbed "Jessie's Dream Home." And it was. Jessie loved Newnan and quickly became very active in her church, Macedonia Baptist. Jessie loved to travel. She often joked she had a bag packed and ready next to the front door. She and her daughter traveled extensively. Their adventures were chock full of so much laughter and joy. Jessie stood at the foot of Egypt's pyramids, saw the birthplace of the Olympics in Greece, toured the Vatican in Rome and walked the streets of Ephesus, to name a few. But her favorite place of all was Ireland, a place she and Denise visited 3 times. But these truths did not comprise her greatest joy, even when taken collectively. Her two grandchildren possess that honor, not in past tense despite her passing. Even as she looks down on her family from Heaven, no one who knew her would every doubt that her first look will always go to her grandchildren. Jessie reveled in every moment she had with them, took pride in their accomplishments large and small, and was their champion in life, their partner in adventures in the woods, their leader on treasure hunts and their cheerleader in life. Jessie was the heart of her family, and while the family looks forward to being reunited in Heaven, their collective heart is seriously fractured. Jessie-wife, mother, Gaga, friend, confidante, teacher, child of God-left a void no other will fill. But she also left so much in the way of love and laughter and faith. It is a legacy her family will remember and strive to carry on in her honor and memory. The family would like to invite those who knew her to services at Macedonia Baptist Church on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Visitation will be held at the church from 1:00 to 2:00 pm with the service following immediately at 2:00 pm. There will be no graveside service. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.mckoon.com.

Jessie Lee Johns

September 20, 1946 - December 30, 2025