Cathy Lynn Johnson, 63, formerly of Moab, and more recently of Spanish Fork, passed away peacefully at her home in Spanish Fork on July 5 after an eight-year long and valiant battle with metastatic colon cancer.
Cathy was born January 25, 1955, in Moab to Jack Smith and Carma Lovell Oneil (Lemon) and attended grade school, middle school and high school in Moab.
Cathy married Robert Charles Johnson in 1971 in Moab, and lived briefly in Arizona before moving back to Moab. Together, Robert and Cathy had two daughters, Robin Lenea, and Veronica Lynn Johnson. After Robert passed away in 1976, she had three more children: Larry Cameron Sparks, Jeremy Tommy White and Crystal Dawn Johnson.
Cathy was well known in the community as the manager of Moab Pizza Hut for 35 years. She had a soft spot in her heart for the homeless, often hiring them to clean the parking lot and providing them with warm meals. She was a very dedicated employee and developed many treasured friendships over the years she spent at Pizza Hut.
After being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in September of 2010, Cathy and her family moved to Spanish Fork to be closer to the Huntsman Cancer Center, where she would receive treatment for her cancer. Many at the cancer center called Cathy a miracle that she could battle her cancer for eight long years, but those close to her know that she wouldn’t give up easily. She was a true fighter to the very end, aided by the care of her children and grandchildren. The love for her family truly helped her to fight for as long as she did.
Cathy is preceded in death by her father, Jack, and mother, Carma; husband, Robert Johnson; brothers, David Lemon, and Terry Lemon; and her sisters, Luauna Lu Lemon, and Lana Lee Lemon. She is survived by her sister, Jamie (Willis) Olson of Cedaredge, Colorado, and her children, Robin (Kyle) Maxfield; Veronica Johnson; Larry Sparks; Jeremy White; and Crystal Johnson, all of Spanish Fork; and six grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on July 11 at noon at the LDS Stake Center, 70 Locust Lane, in Moab. Visitation will occur from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. prior to the funeral services. Burial will be at the Grand County Cemetery.
Cathy’s family would like to thank Dr. Weis and P.A. Nicole Orgain, and the infusion nurses, along with all the other staff, at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City for their care for mom over the last 8 years. Cathy’s sense of humor and the staff’s kindness and patience throughout the years made her treatments more bearable for her and prolonged her life so that we, her family, could enjoy more time with her. We encourage family and friends to help fight cancer by donating to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Donations may be sent by visiting give.huntsmancancer.org.
