Jill L. Pewitt

Jill Lorraine Pewitt (Johnson), 59, greeted death as a friend on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, in Oscoda, Michigan, after a quick bout with pancreatic cancer.
Jill was born on June 25, 1965, to Carolyn (Baran) and Lawrence Johnson of Detroit, Michigan. She grew up alongside her brother, Eric Johnson, and spent her younger days playing outside with her close friends and pushing the neighborhood cats in her baby stroller, even though she was highly allergic.
Jill had many illustrious careers after graduating from Troy High School and the University of Detroit Mercy with her bachelor's degree in business administration and management. She spent time as a Purchasing Agent for General Motors and as a Customer Service Representative at Meteor Photo, where she first met her husband, Tom, with a confident handshake and a high-pitched "Hi, I'm Jill Johnson!" Jill worked as a Clerical Assistant for the City of Jacksonville Beach and then as a Document Imaging Specialist for TMM, where she felt lucky to work alongside one of her daughters. But perhaps the job she loved the most was being a mom to her two daughters, Rachel and Claire, whom she cared for and comforted right until the end.
After her time in Detroit, Jill spent 20 years in Ponte Vedra, Florida with her family where she loved driving her car on the local beaches, watching East Coast sunrises with her dogs and a cup of hot tea, walking up and down the aisles of Publix, planning trips to Disney World, and avoiding spending more than 30 minutes outside in the oppressive summer months.
Following a brief but memorable stint in Denver, Colorado, Jill and Tom returned to Michigan to live out their newlywed dreams of retiring on a lake. Together, they built a beautiful home in Oscoda with a stunning view.
Jill never held a grudge, unless someone wronged her daughters. Then all bets were off. She was incredibly funny in an unexpected way, more thoughtful than most deserved, and kind beyond measure. Jill was the type of person who did have a favorite type of Post-it note (many of which her family will be finding around the house for years to come) but loved all pasta shapes equally. Jill loved to travel and try new restaurants, though she frequently stuck to her old favorites because, as she often put it, "I like what I like, ok? What's wrong with that?" Never one to turn down a spontaneous adventure, and though she left this life much too soon, Jill was a wonderful wife, amazing mother, great daughter, caring sister, and the best friend, who will be remembered for her carefree attitude and joie de vivre spirit despite the challenges she faced.
Jill leaves behind her husband and soulmate of 32 years, Tom, daughters, Rachel and Claire, brother Eric Johnson (Diane), many cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends. She has returned home to her mother, Carolyn, and father, Lawrence.
Jill loved being on a boat any chance she could, so instead of a formal service, her remains, along with her mother's, will be scattered on the lake so they can be together in the great beyond. One of Jill's favorite catch phrases was "life is short," and in her memory, she would love for you to do something fun and spontaneous, even if it's as simple as stopping for a crisp McDonald's Diet Coke before you start off on a long day of errands.