Anita Johnson

In honor of Anita's selfless generosity, and lieu of flowers please make a tax-deductible donation to "Nina Pener's Steps to Healing Initiative" which directly funds surgical training, equipment, and medical care in Cabo Verde. To make a donation please copy and paste this address into your web browser https://www.nationalsportsmed.com/in-memoriam/ or scroll down to the "Donations" section of the obituary and click on the link.
Anita Therese Pener Johnson ("Nina")
Sunrise: September 25, 1937 | Sunset: October 16, 2024
Anita Therese Pener Johnson was known to her family as "Nina". She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend. Born September 25, 1937 in Newport, Rhode Island, she was named after her mother's best friend. She was the youngest child of Charles Ralph Pener and Jane Mary Andrews Pener (known as Jenny). Nina spent her childhood in Newport, Rhode Island with her father, brother Charles Jr. (known as Charlie), her sister Rita Jane, and host of extended Cape Verdean family and friends that included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Nina spoke fondly of her New England family as a village of angels that stepped in when her mother Jenny succumbed to tuberculosis in 1942.
Nina moved to New York in 1952. She attended Jamaica and Hempstead High Schools as a teenager, graduating from Hempstead High School in 1955. Her yearbook ambitions included becoming a Spanish teacher. She later wrote in a 2013 self-written heirloom to her grandchildren, when she graduated from high school she hoped to do good in the world, love God, maybe join the air force, become a wife, a mother, or a nun; all of which we could say she accomplished in one form or another before Our Lord called her home to be with Him on the morning of October 16, 2024.
After graduating high school, she worked as a Patent Clerk for Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York City. She traveled, spent time with her family and was especially close with her nieces who resided just a few doors down from her father's home in Uniondale, New York. As a young aunt, she spoiled her nieces all while remaining close with her sister Rita, brother Charlie, their respective families, and her beloved extended family back in Newport.
She met Sterling at her 21st Birthday party in 1958. Nina and Sterling began dating in 1960. They were married on November 9, 1963 at St. Martha's Church in Uniondale, New York. Their married life began in St. Albans, Queens. God blessed their marriage with 7 children: Christopher, Stephen (deceased), Timothy, Edward, David, Peter and Linda. In 1967, the family settled in Uniondale where they created a loving home for the next 32 years.
Nina embraced the role of wife, mother, and homemaker while also being a mother to a host of relatives and friends. Nina described her childhood as troubled; however, she became a mother to many, opening her heart, home, and especially her kitchen table to countless relatives and friends; many whom affectionately called her Aunt Nina or Mrs. Johnson. She loved to bake. She was known for her pies, cakes, cookies, brownies and gufongu pastries. If you stopped by Nina's home, there was always an available seat at her kitchen table, along with delicious baked goods. It didn't matter if you were hungry, or just needed a shoulder to lean on, she created a welcoming place for all.
In 1983, the family was devastated by the death of her beloved son Stephen. Thereafter, she quietly struggled with clinical depression. Through this struggle, she remained steadfast in her faith, leaving her family and loved ones a constant reminder that God is faithful, even in life's darkest storms. Although Nina suffered from depression, her unwavering legacy of faith placed God above all things, and helped her remain patient and prayerful through her suffering. This legacy will live on in the hearts of her family and all who knew and loved her.
Nina remained an active member of the church community at St. Martha's Church as a Lecturer, Eucharistic Minister. She also assisted the school staff at St. Martha's School during lunches. As her children entered their adolescence years, she worked both in and outside the home providing before and after school child care for a working family in the community and as a Librarian Aid at Smith Street Elementary School. She hosted CCD classes in her home as well as the Parish, and retired from her 11 year career as a Civil Service Clerk for the Uniondale Public Library in 1999.
Upon her retirement, Sterling and Nina moved to Severn, MD in 1999. From 2000 through 2016 Nina and Sterling welcomed 19 grandchildren. She adored her grandchildren and the title of Grandma was one she wore proudly. She created memorable moments in their Severn home and became an avid photo collector during these years. Her grandchildren were never without grandma's hugs, cookies and sweets; a place where wagon rides, bicycles, basement sleepovers, and the laughter of her grandchildren were plentiful.
In addition to enjoying her grandchildren during retirement, Nina enjoyed knitting, watching old movies, strolling the aisles of CVS, remaining active in her parish of St. Joseph's in Odenton, Maryland, and the community's Senior Center. She also traveled with her children and grandchildren when she could. At the age of 64, Nina took a trip of a lifetime to the Cape Verde Islands. She made the journey with her beloved Aunt Arlene Pener Lyles and sons Timothy and Peter. There, she basked in the rich culture of her Cape Verdean heritage and her people. She visited many islands including Fogo where her grandparents were born and immersed herself in the sights and scenery of the country. She discovered where her roots had originated and reflected on where she came from; a country she had only heard about as a child, one her grandparents left behind in the early 1900's to escape poverty, drought, and to pursue a better life in America as the whaling industry in New England flourished.
Nina lived in Severn until 2019. She and Sterling then moved to Ashburn, Virginia to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Still an active retiree and Virginia resident, Nina always had a constant presence in her grandchildren's lives from local sporting activities to school concerts and graduations. She and Sterling frequently returned to Long Island, Newport, and Southern California to visit their children, making every effort to celebrate individual as well as family milestones.
Nina was married to her devoted and dedicated husband, Sterling, for 61 years, building a life together that was a testament to love, commitment, and shared values. She is survived by her husband Sterling, her brother Charlie and wife Cobina, her sister-in-law Marian, her 6 children and their spouses: Christopher, Timothy, Carole, Edward, Cynthia (Cindy), David, Tracy, Peter, Cara, Andy and Linda, 19 grandchildren: Alyse, Dean, Solange, Jasmyn, Laci, Gabriel, Reese, Kyle, Blaze, Aubrey, Blake, Ezekiel, Tylar, Alexander, Averi, Lucas, Jaeci, Carae, and Eli in addition to several nieces, nephews, grand dogs, and a host of extended family and friends.
Memorial donations may be made to Nina Pener's Steps to Healing Initiative which directly funds the Orthopaedic Surgery "Cultural Exchange" Program providing surgical training, equipment, and care to the people of Cabo Verde.
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