Helene Ann (Mangini) Johnsen

Helene (Mangini) Johnsen passed away surrounded by her family on February 22, 2024. She was born May 10, 1948 at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland to Joseph and Mary Mangini, the baby in a family of four children. After graduating from North Catholic High School in NoPo in 1966, she joined the accounting firm Touche Ross as a typist. It was there that she met her husband, Kim Johnsen, and after several years of courtship, the two were married at the Queen of Peace Church on May 14, 1977. Two years later, they welcomed their only child, Erik.

Helene worked, mainly part-time, as a freelance typist and office manager with her primary role being a wonderful homemaker and loving mother. After retiring from the working world in 2010, she spent two days a week over a span of 7 years caring for her beloved grandchildren, Livia and Evan. She was also very devoted to her brother, Vic, who lived with mental illness until his passing in 2017.

While Helene lived in the Portland area for her entire life, she was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel all around the U.S. and the world, which was one of her great passions. She and Kim enjoyed travelling from the far reaches of Russia and Australia to various National Parks and roadside cafes and “dives.” Helene, and sometimes Erik, tagged along on some of Kim’s work trips to places like New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Alaska. She also had four opportunities to travel to Europe, the first in 1977 on her honeymoon to Paris, and the last in 2019. You could always count on her returning from her travels with a collection of exotic pictures and souvenirs from their adventures, with photos of most meals sprinkled in for good measure. Other hobbies included gardening, cooking, making cards, and most of all, socializing with her many friends and loved ones.

Helene was one of the kindest, most welcoming people you could ever meet. She had a tremendous warmth that put everyone at ease. She was patient, nurturing, accepting, and always thinking of others. In her later years, she enjoyed hosting her grandkids (and sometimes their friends) overnight, where she earned the endearing title of “grandma to the world.”

Helene is survived by her husband of 47 years, Kim; her son and daughter-in-law, Erik and Sara Johnsen; her two grandchildren, Livia and Evan Johnsen; and sisters Josephine Boone and Rosalie McCrea. If you wish to make a charitable donation in her name, please contribute to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization that was important to Helene and her family.

There will be an open-house viewing at the Pegg, Paxson & Springer Funeral Chapel on March 7th from 4-8pm at which all are welcome to pay their respects. There will be a private, family service and burial the following day.