Arlynn Kay Dubbs 77, of Rapid City passed away peacefully in her home, Friday, January 17, 2025.

Graveside services will be 1:00pm Monday January 27, 2025, at Mt. View Cemetery in Rapid City.

Arlynn was born January 10, 1948, in Ft. Benning, GA to Arthur F. and Joyce L. (Ackors) Johnson. Throughout her young life she only spent a few years at each of her father's duty stations. Some of those places included Texas, Kansas, North Dakota, and her most favorite, Germany, where the family lived twice. Ultimately, her parents settled in Rapid City and bought the home where she eventually passed. It was during her late teens that she gained the nickname Johni, which stuck for the rest of her life.

Johni graduated from Rapid City High School and then attended Greene's School of Beauty, receiving her cosmetology license which she kept in good standing until her death. She met Nicholas Eugene Dubbs and they were married on January 27th, 1973. The couple moved to California for Nick to find work and on September 15th, 1975, their daughter Gina Lyn was born in Orange County. After a few years, they moved back to South Dakota. On July 10th, 1979, their son Jason Benjamin was born in Rapid City. A few years later they would divorce, and Johni and her children would live with her mother, Joyce Johnson (whom Gina and Jason knew as Oma), and her grandmother, Anna Ackors. She worked as a cosmetologist, at one point owning her own salon. She also ran a daycare and worked as a cook at one of her favorite restaurants, Daisy Dell. After the restaurant closed, she worked in retail at Haggerty's and then as a baker and manager, with her son, at the Wheat Berries Bakery. After the bakery closed, she worked at Boyd's in the gift department until her retirement.

Johni was first, a child of God, devoting much of her time in retirement to scripture reading. Although unable to attend regular services, she was a member of the First Congregational Church in Rapid City. She was a loving mother to her kids, proud sister to her brother Arthur Forrest, dutiful daughter and granddaughter to Joyce and Anna, and for many, many years, she was committed to her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi. She enjoyed the fellowship in the sorority, the gatherings, and being a part of her sisters' lives, and they hers. Johni found extraordinary joy in animals (especially her cats) drawing, coloring, painting, and reading. A voracious reader, she was delighted when the Kindle was invented and no longer had to make the long trek to the library to check out books.

Johni was extremely proud of her daughter's choice to join the Army, a family tradition, and her years of honorable service to the country. She was equally as proud of Gina's husband Chuck Heard for his lifetime of service in the Army. She would spend hours on the phone talking with Gina about cats and crocheting, about everything and nothing, and then recounting the stories and conversation to Jason. She loved her daughter's love of animals and her commitment to caring for them selflessly.

Johni was also proud of her son, who was a police officer. She was grateful to have attended both his academy graduation and his retirement twenty-three years later. Over the past sixteen years she spent much time with Jason and his wife, Nichole, loving Nichole as another daughter. Johni's joy was overflowing in 2018 when her first grandson, Joshua Alexander was born to Jason and Nichole. She could now spend her time and money being the patient and kind grandmother she had wanted to be, just like her grandmother. She could now be called Oma! Johni and Joshua had a special bond, it often seemed that Johni was the only one who could truly understand Joshua. A lover of words and communication, she had great influence in shaping Joshua into an articulate and precocious boy. In 2022 her joy doubled when she became a grandmother again when Jace Cole was born to Jason and Nichole. Johni loved Jace's devious laugh and his hugs. The last 6 years of her life were devoted to God and her grandchildren who were at the center of her every thought and intention. It seemed to be her calling to spoil the grandchildren every chance she had.

Johni was kind and patient, forgiving easily, and selfless to a fault. She believed that God's plan was at work all the time and looked forward to the day when she could walk with the Lord. She was grateful to her family, especially her brother who showed her great kindness and generosity, and to her friends for their fellowship, support, wit and wisdom, and their patience.

She was survived by her children; Jason (Nichole) Dubbs of Box Elder, SD Gina (Chuck) Heard of Columbia, SC, brother; Arthur Forrest Johnson Jr. of Azle, TX, and grandchildren; Joshua Alexander Dubbs and Jace Cole Dubbs of Box Elder, SD.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable donation to the charity of your wish.