Gayla Ann Hartman

Gayla Ann Johnson Hartman, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend, of North Bend, Oregon, went to be with her Heavenly Father, June 6, 2025, at the age of 71 following a three-year struggle with metastatic bladder cancer.

Born January 29, 1954, in Carmel, California, to Judith (Colby) and Murray Johnson, Gayla moved with her family to Springfield, Oregon, in 1968. She graduated from Springfield High School in 1972, and attended two terms at Southern Oregon College (now University) after graduation. She then transferred to the University of Oregon in spring term, 1973, and majored in elementary education.

Gayla married her high school and college sweetheart, John Hartman, August 7, 1976. After a honeymoon in Victoria, British Columbia, the Hartmans moved to North Bend, where John had accepted a job teaching band in District 19. Gayla did her student teaching in the Coos Bay School District at Milner Crest Elementary in the spring of 1977 and received her Bachelor of Education degree from the U of O.In the fall of 1977, she began teaching the first grade class at the Bay Area School of Life at the Foursquare Church in Coos Bay, where she and John were members. She later substitute taught for the Coos Bay and North Bend school districts.

In 1994 Gayla returned to teaching fulltime at Kingsview Christian School in North Bend, where she taught until retiring in 2007.

Gayla loved cats, and she and John always had a gray-striped tabby for the nearly 49 years they were married. She enjoyed travel, and went to Britain in 1979, Israel and Egypt in 1983, Kansas in 1984, Montana and Wyoming in 1996, Maryland in 2007, Tennessee in 2008, a Civil War tour in 2013, Israel again in 2018, and South Dakota in 2020.

Having accepted Christ’s salvation in March of 1972, Gayla loved studying God’s Word, and kept reference works by her Bible, which she read daily. She greatly enjoyed women’s Bible studies, and in her last year attended a women’s study group at the Family Life Center Church of God in North Bend, where she grew close to the women in the church.

She is survived by her husband, John; son, Dan and daughter-in-law, Amy Hartman of Grants Pass; sister, Luanne Uriel of Rapid City, South Dakota; brother, John and sister-in-law, Pam Johnson of Salem; five nephews, three nieces, many cousins and beloved friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Murray and Judith Johnson.

A memorial service will be held at 2pm, Saturday, August 9 at the Family Life Center Church of God, 1067 Newmark Avenue in North Bend.

If you wish to make a donation in Gayla’s memory, please consider Friends of Coos County Animals (Saturdays at the Pony Village Mall) or Kohl’s Cat House, 1431 SW Blvd., Coos Bay.

Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com

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