In Memoriam: Donna Taggart Johnson ’78

Donna Taggart Johnson ’78 died Sept. 23, 2021, at age 74. She was the second child of Dr. and Mrs. William Taggart. She grew up in Stillwater, Okla., and graduated with honors from Dunart High School, where she was vice president of the student council and Pioneer Queen. 

In 1967, she married Dr. John Mitchell, the father of her two daughters. They made a home in Missoula, Mont. and then in Forest Grove, where she graduated from Pacific University with a bachelor's degree in social and community service. The couple eventually returned to Missoula.

Her commitment to others informed every aspect of her life. She loved birds and nature, was inspired by art and all kinds of music, and played piano and sang with her children. She was a formidable racquetball player. She served at St Patrick's Hospital in Missoula for almost 40 years, first in Human Resources and then as the director of Volunteer Services. She was an accomplished calligrapher and was a founding member of the Missoula Calligraphers' Guild. She shared her creative spirit and generous heart with everyone she met.

Taggart Johnson was preceded in death by her mother, Maxine Elliott; her sister Karen; and her father, William Taggart. She is survived by her sister, Jana Petermann; her brothers, Glenn and Gary Taggart; her daughters, Jacqueline Mitchell-Robert and Kate Mitchell; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.