JOHNSTON, Jesse (1980-2020)

JOHNSTON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/6/2022 at 10:42:36

Jesse Johnston
(December 22, 1980- December 17, 2020)

Jesse Ruth Johnston departed her loving family after a courageous battle with glioblastoma on December 17th. She loved the simplest pleasures in life – traveling, dancing, hiking, practicing yoga and reading with a glass of wine in hand. She had an uncanny ability to connect with people and her smile was infectious to everyone she met. She was blessed with many friends and recently shared that since her cancer diagnosis she has experienced an amazing revelation of humanity due to the outpouring of love and support.
She approached everything she participated in with extreme integrity and energy. She graduated from North Scott class of ’99 as a valedictorian, achieved her BA and Master’s degrees from Drake University with suma cum Laude honors. She attended Drake law school on a full merit based scholarship and passed the bar exam with a newborn. She was a past Treasurer and President of the Polk County Women’s Attorneys, an associate editor of the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law and a Moot Court board member. Jesse was previously employed by Des Moines Public Schools where she taught at Hiatt middle school; Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler and Hagen law firm and West Des Moines public schools.
Jesse has lived a lifetime of experiences in her 39 years. Her passion for traveling included a summer in Belgium as a summer camp counselor, studying a semester of college in Scotland, hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon and on the Continental Divide Trail through Glacier National Park in Montana.
Jesse is survived by her soulmate and husband, Mosa Shayan; two sons, Isah (6) and Arman (3); parents, Bob and Beth (Berns) Johnston; sister, Jamey Johnston; brother, Bobby Johnston; in-laws, Rick and Minoo (Seraji) Spellerberg and nephews, Carter and Clay Skarlis.
A virtual service with family and friends was held on December 22, which would have been her 40th birthday. A celebration of Jesse’s life will be scheduled post Covid restrictions. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Believe Big or to the family for the boy’s education. This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, http://www.overtonfuneral.com/