It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Joan T. Johnson, beloved wife, mother, sister and aunt. Joan was born on March 5, 1961, in Joliet, IL to George and Lee (Thompson) Bertino. She was the youngest of their seven children. The family moved in 1969 to Theinsville, WI and Joan graduated from Homestead High School in 1979.

Joan found a love for the arts at a young age when she began taking dance lessons. She especially loved ballet. In third grade she began taking piano lessons after listening through the door to a piano teacher giving lessons at her elementary school. After noticing her infatuation with the piano, the teacher asked her if she would like to take lessons and play. The teacher then walked Joan home, to her startled mother and she was signed up for lessons right away. Joan fell in love with the piano and excelled in all aspects of performing.

In the fall of 1979 Joan began attending UW Steven's Point, to study Vocal Education and Piano Performance. During her time at UWSP Joan excelled in her studies, singing in the Concert Choir and serving as their accompanist. She also accompanied student recitals and was an accompanist for the university's musicals (both school year and summer shows). In addition to all of her accompaniment she also had several solo performances. Including full junior and senior recitals and performances throughout the state.

After graduating in 1984 from UWSP, Joan joined the piano faculty of the UWSP prep department. During the course of her sophomore year Joan met and became best friends with Tim Johnson, a percussion major also studying to be a band director. They were married on June 15, 1985. In the fall of 1986 Joan won and accepted a graduate assistantship at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. She earned a double masters in piano performance and piano pedagogy, graduating in 1988. In 1988 Joan was also selected by the Baldwin Piano Company as being one of the top masters students in the country, in the area of Piano Pedagogy.

Joan began teaching private lessons through several college preparatory programs after completing her masters. During this time, Joan and Tim moved from Illinois and southern Wisconsin to Green Bay, WI. While in Green Bay Tim became a band director in the Howard Suamico school district and Joan built a large home piano lesson studio in which she taught up to 75 students each week. Through her piano studio she built relationships with local music stores, but mostly Don Poh's Music. Don and Judy Poh became close family friends and held many piano studio recitals in their concert hall. In addition to her piano studio, she also worked with her husband's public school band students as an accompanist for solo and ensemble festivals. After moving to Green Bay, they had two sons, eldest Kevin Johnson and youngest Eric Johnson, who both took after their parents' passion for music.

In 2002, Tim was diagnosed with advanced stage four multiple myeloma (Bone marrow cancer). Joan managed to maintain her full piano studio, raise her two young sons and a puppy, while also becoming caregiver for her husband. Despite the turmoil Tim and Joan were steadfast in their faith in God and together they saw Tim return to teaching and both boys grow up.

Joan will be missed for her abilities to help and to give any assistance that she could. Throughout her life she never said no to anyone who needed love, support, a meal, and a hug. Her family will always miss her cooking. We will all miss her insight, foresight, and her beautiful eyes.

She is survived by her Husband: Tim Johnson, Sons: Kevin Johnson (Sarah Reynolds) & Eric Johnson (Melody Johnson), Brother: Steve Bertino, Sisters: Carolyn Elsen and Rebecca Woltring.

She is preceded in death by her Parents George and Lee Bertino, Brothers Nick Bertino and Gerald Eugene Bertino, and Sister Margaret Susan (Peggy) Bertino.

Joan's family would like to thank the staff members of the St. Vincent ICU; Everyone at Green Bay Oncology (Especially Dr. Jaslowski & Dr. Pritzl), home nurse Amy VanRoy, the oncology staff and surgeons at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, a special thank you to Joan's best friends Jenny Emery & Lori Thompson, and to all her incredible neighbors that did so much for Tim and Joan.

Visitation will be on May 29th, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at Pfotenhauer Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Howard-Suamico, 1145 Cardinal Lane, Green Bay, WI 54313. Memorial Service will be held on May 30th, at 11:00am at the Community Church Chapel, 600 Cardinal Lane, Green Bay, WI 54313. (Entrance on Community Way, off of Riverview Drive)