Anita Denise Johnston

Denver, CO – Anita Denise Johnston passed away on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the age of 77. She had recently moved to the Denver metro area with her daughter Jessica and son-in-law Travis and enjoyed being back in the western United States.

She was born in Richmond, California, on June 21, 1948, as the firstborn daughter of Arlo Johnston and Ada (Ferry) Johnston. Anita enjoyed plants and animals early in her life, especially her pet duck. She was a model and skilled seamstress during her high school years and earned her associate’s degree from Diablo Valley College.

In 1977, she moved with her then-husband (later divorced), Michael W. Sergent, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she fell in love with the area’s climate and culture.

Anita and Michael had two children, Jessica DJ (Sergent) Himstedt and Ryan C. Sergent (deceased). She enjoyed being in nature and gardening, and she had a knack for artistic pursuits. Anita designed the passive-solar home on a farm near Moriarty, NM, where she and her family lived for several years and grew alfalfa and organic herbs.

She continued to use her talents throughout her life and earned her bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of New Mexico in 2006.

She spent the final years of her life living near her daughter, son-in-law, and grand puppies in Chicago, Illinois, and Littleton, Colorado. She loved walking along Lake Michigan in Chicago and was a voracious reader in her retirement.

Anita was preceded in death by her mother and father, her son Ryan Sergent, and her nephews Matthew Kennedy and Jeffrey Sergent. She is survived by her daughter Jessica DJ (Sergent) Himstedt and son-in-law Travis Himstedt, as well as sisters Arlene Tugel and Anne McKay. Her nieces include Becky, Jenny, Tricia, and her nephew Kevin.

Her calm, peaceful, and caring presence will be missed. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative in memory of Ryan Sergent (https://www.14ers.org/).

Lastly, many thanks to all who have already reached out, and compliments and the greatest of thanks to the wonderful staff at Lutheran Medical Center and Collier Hospice Center in Wheat Ridge, CO, for all of their love, generosity, and support.