vacated her body on March 3, 2000 at the Leigh Block Hospice House after waging a third valiant battle with cancer. Preceded in death by her mother Marion (McGlinn) Beier. Survived by her father Henry "Red" Johnson, half-brother Scott, half-sister Sherry, stepmother Penny, grandmother Phyllis Johnson, six nieces, and a loyal band of friends who cherished her for her youthful nature, sense of humor and unconventional tastes.

She started life Oct 13, 1949 as Jill Johnson and grew up in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles in 1949. At Marshall High School she showed a strong interest in art and forged friendships with those who would remain close to her throughout her life. Since 1976 she has worked for Hughes Aircraft Company (now Raytheon); first in El Segundo, then Canoga Park, and finally at Santa Barbara Research Center. Always a valued and conscientious employee, her natural charm, quick wit and lively, sometimes irreverent nature always won over co-workers and managers alike. Her presence brought a spark to every gathering, business or leisure.

In 1970 she married Daniel O'Grady. They divorced in 1977, but Jill kept the name because it reflected the Irish heritage on her mother's side.

She enjoyed nature and animals, and her affinity with even the most timid of dogs and cats kept her in frequent demand as a pet sitter for vacationing friends. One of her longtime hobbies was crafting stained and leaded glass panels and lamps, a talent passed down from a grandfather she never knew, the renowned Lucian McGlinn. She loved to travel throughout the western states and felt equally at home in a redwood forest or among dry, rocky hills (especially in pursuit of petroglyphs). Her diverse range of interests led her to collect such things as lighthouses, carousels and inanimate specimens (preferably plush) of under appreciated creatures, including bats, manatees, rhinos, tapirs, possums and armadillos.

Her most enduring passion was a lifelong dream of flying. She loved to observe birds of prey. Thrilled by a chance encounter with any airship, she arranged to ride on the Goodyear blimp twice. She took flying lessons and soloed once, but the expense of flying kept her from getting a pilot's license. However, thanks to the Dream Foundation, in her final days Jill went for a last ride along the coast in the co-pilot seat of a small plane. On a spectacularly clear day amid an otherwise dreary winter she got a final look at a whale and a lighthouse and even took the controls briefly as they flew toward her house in the hills of Lompoc.

Memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm Mar 17, 2000 at Rancho Embarcadero Community Center, 224 Vereda Leyenda, Goleta. In Jill's memory, donations can be sent to Leigh Block Hospice House, Cancer Center of SB, or Dream Foundation.