HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A beloved longtime teacher at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico has died.
Forty-three-year-old Keilondi Johnson, who was a popular figure at Tucker for 20 years, lived with muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy which meant she used a wheelchair.
But that did not stop the Richmond native from pursing her dream of working in a classroom.
Johnson was featured in one of Greg McQuade's "Heroes Among Us" reports in 2016.
"If I can get this done, you can get this done," Johnson told her students.
Dr. Robert Lowerre, Tucker’s principal at the time, said in a 2016 interview that Johnson was a "fantastic teacher."
”She is a kid magnet. Kids just love being around her," Lowerre said.
Johnson encouraged her students to overcome, no matter the situation.
"To allow them to see that despite your different challenges that you may have in life, you still have a purpose in life," she said.
Johnson's celebration of life service was held at Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries Friday.
Johnson is survived by three sisters and her mother and father.
