Mariana Johnson, 93, of Daytona Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on November 19, 2015. She lived a full and interesting life.

Born in Worcester, MA on July 11, 1922, Mariana was an active member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church and a student at Sever Street Preparatory School and Classical High School. She earned a BS in Physical Therapy at Northeastern University (Boston Bouv College of Health Sciences) in 1943. After that, she became affiliated with the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation during the polio epidemics of the 40s and 50s, working with patients in Warm Springs and Atlanta, Georgia, Hickory and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Chicago, Illinois. In 1961, she accepted a special assignment in Fez, Morocco to help victims paralyzed by ingesting adulterated oil. She was later employed by Memorial Hospital in Worcester, MA, and went on to earn a BA in Education (1972) and an MA in Vocational Counseling and Rehabilitation (1976) from Assumption College. In 1976, she relocated to Daytona Beach, FL, where she worked as a physical therapist at Memorial Hospital in Ormond Beach and then travelled to patients' homes in Putnam, Flagler and Volusia counties. She was a life member of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Mariana's fun-loving and adventurous nature was exemplified by her many interests. She participated in an array of sports, took flying lessons, enjoyed many years of dancing, and traveled the world. She played tennis into her 80s and was a member of Oceanside Country Club, Sunset Harbor Yacht & Country Club, Museum of Arts & Sciences, The Guild of the MOAS, Daytona Beach Symphony Guild, and St. James Episcopal Church. At the age of 86, she purchased her last car, a 2006 red convertible Mustang GT, which she named "Speedy Spirit." She will be remembered fondly by all who knew her as a classy and caring woman.

Mariana is preceded in death by her parents, Wilfred and Fern Johnson, brother W. Evans Johnson and sister-in-law Jean Dunham Johnson. She is survived by niece Dorothy Ann Lampe and husband Eric, niece Nancy Feist and husband Jeff, niece Barbara Lawrence and husband David, and nephew Richard Johnson and wife Ethel. Other living relatives include: great niece Victoria Feist (sons A.J., Nicholas and daughter Emily); great nephew Jacob Feist, wife Tella, and son Jace; great niece Laura Feist (sons Jabari and Evan); great nieces Christin and Nichole Lawrence (daughter Jade); and great nephews Matthew and Nathan Brim.

A service to celebrate her life will be held at 11 am Saturday, December 12, 2015 at Lohman Funeral Home Ormond, 733 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach, FL. Interment at Daytona Memorial Park will follow. Flowers are gratefully accepted or memorial contributions may be made to the church or charity of your choice.