Mrs. Tanya Odette Johnson was born November 18, 1962 in Panama City, Panama. She was the beloved daughter of the late William Earl Tuten and Ruby Cunningham Goldbourne. She peacefully departed this life to be with the Lord on Sunday January 22, 2017 at her home on Columbia, South Carolina.

“Odette,” as she was affectionately called by her family, was a hardworking, devoted mother and grandmother who taught her daughters and grandson about life and how to maintain and fend for themselves. She did not mind helping anyone, often putting others before herself; and her home was always available to those that were in need.

 Tanya was a graduate of Spring Valley High School, Class of 1981. Upon graduation, she married George Johnson who served in the United States Air Force. Being a military family, they traveled overseas and stateside until his untimely death in 1999. In addition to raising two daughters, she decided to continue her education at Columbia College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2011. Soon after, she received her Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling in Marriage and Family from Liberty University in 2014. She was employed for more than 10 years with the Title One program at Arden Elementary in Richland School District One.

Although she is no longer with us physically, she has left a legacy of love that will be deeply missed by all those who loved and cherished her.

Those who are left to treasure fond and precious memories of Tanya are her loving daughters, Charrissa and Tatyana Johnson, and grandson, Julian Jeannis of Columbia, South Carolina; four brothers: Hernando Durant of Columbia, South Carolina, Michael Goldbourne of Atlanta, Georgia, Lewis Goldbourne of Orlando, Florida and William Tuten, Jr. of Washington, North Carolina; four sisters: Diana Smart, Dorotea Jackman, Elena Ellis, all of Columbia, South Carolina, and Cynthia Durant of Jersey City, New Jersey; a loving, aunt Norma Wingfield of  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and a host of  loving nieces, nephews, other loving relatives and friends, all of whom join the family in sharing the grief of her departure but rejoice that she  is in the hands of the Lord.