The light of Sydney Randall Johnson passed to the heavens late on the evening of June 13th, 2025. She fought with everything she had until the very last peaceful hours of her time here on Earth. Sydney dictated the terms of her three-and-a-half-year battle with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer under the compassionate care of her oncology team, lead by Dr. Flavia Kostov at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, VA.
Sydney is survived by her son, Warren Mrowiec; her father and stepmother, Gregory Johnson and Carol Hancock; her sister and brother-in-law, Ashley and Andrew Techet; her nephews, Holden, Owen and Soren Techet; her niece, Scout Techet; her grandmother, Carolyn Johnson; her partner, Kevin Anderson; and her former husband and Warren’s father, David Mrowiec. She was predeceased by her mother, Joy Jewett Johnson.
Sydney was born at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, FL to Gregory and Joy Johnson. The Navy life brought her to Orange Park, FL, Newport, RI, Oakton, VA, Jacksonville, FL, Springfield, VA and Washington D.C. The formative years of her childhood were spent in the vibrant Riverside community of Jacksonville, FL where she cemented many of the lifelong friendships that sustained her throughout her lifetime and into her final chapters. Sydney attended Riverside Presbyterian Day School and Church and graduated from Episcopal High School in 1989 where she was a varsity rower and soccer player. She was also an accomplished ballet dancer throughout her elementary and high school years.
Sydney received a scholarship to row at Syracuse University. Due to a game changing back injury her sophomore year, she made the decision to transfer to James Madison University where she graduated in 1994 with a major in Art and a Minor in Education.
During the summer of 1993 between her Junior and Senior year of college she attended a 30-day NOLS Course in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. The experience changed her life and she fell in love with the raw nature and majestic beauty of the mountains and rugged landscapes of Wyoming.
Following graduation, Sydney packed all her earthly belongings and with determination she headed straight to Jackson Hole, WY with the stated purpose of becoming a “world class snowboarder and mountain biker!” She spent five glorious, action-packed years riding and racing on the challenging biking trails in the Jackson Hole and Wilson, WY back country and going on countless snowboarding excursions into the backside of the Jackson Hole Ski Area to be the first to carve a track on deep fresh fallen powder or get down a steep couloir. She developed a particular brand of athleticism and determination that was noticed not only by the local population but even a national sponsor. When she wasn’t conquering the challenges nature had to offer she worked in the classroom as a special education teacher’s assistant and at bagel shop greeting customers and staying connected with her biking and boarding friends. All the while Sydney cultivated her love of nature and established many friendships that would last throughout her lifetime.
In 1999 Sydney returned to Washington D.C. where her parents and sister were living at the time. She began working at America’s Promise. In January 2001 she moved to the White House where she worked for First Lady Laura Bush until 2004.
In 2005 Sydney began a journey back toward her education degree. She did a stint as an elementary school teacher in inner city Anacostia where she spread her light and shared her love with her 4th grade classroom. The next stop on the journey was pursuit of a Master’s of Science degree in Special Education at Johns Hopkins University School of Education which she received in 2009. While there, she worked at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Sydney then began a career of advocating for and celebrating children and young adults with autism. In 2010 she began working at the Faison School and Center for Autism in Richmond, VA. In 2011 she was hired as the founding Director of the Peninsula School for Autism (PSA). She led the growth of the school which eventually merged with the Faison School in 2017. She continued her work for these very special students and their families until her challenges with Metastatic Cancer forced her to resign in early 2025. Sydney leaves a legacy of compassionate, heart and science driven work within the greater Newport News Community in support of those with severe autism.
Throughout her life Sydney was an accomplished runner completing numerous marathons, ultra-marathons and Ragnar overnight team events. When she wasn’t focused on her own training she was building calendars and training courses to help friends and family alike enter the world of distance running. She believed in everyone’s potential! She was an ardent supporter of and volunteer for Team Hoyt Virginia Beach and each year participated in several events pushing young people with disabilities so they too could experience the exhilaration and accomplishment of running and racing.
Sydney’s particular brand of love was most beautifully seen and experienced through her gift of giving. Nothing made her happier than giving of her time talent and treasure to bring joy to friends, family, students, coworkers, nurses, doctors and strangers. Her art, handmade gifts, and lovely, artistic thank you notes were her love language. She showered people with gifts – when she arrived, when she departed, everyone of Warren’s teachers and the staff at HRA, all her friends, Dr. Kostov, her family. etc. Up to her very final chapter she was showing up with gifts to share in the form of necklaces, paintings, and mini terrariums. She was never without a gift in tow to pass on to someone special and even kept her porch open for neighbors’ friends and family DIY craft nights!
Sydney’s primary focus and greatest joy in her life was her son Warren. She was a wonderful, doting mother who tended to Warren and supported him in all his endeavors. From wrestling mom to lacrosse mom, art teacher, flash card maker, church goer, lawn mowing business manager, birthday party planner, and overseer of homework assignments, she loved supporting Warren and watching him live life to his fullest potential. Just last month Sydney was actively planning a trip for just the two of them over the Holidays to Belize.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 45 Main Street, Newport News, VA at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 12, 2025 with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall. Please consider wearing bright colors in honor of her bright spirit.
In lieu of flowers please consider contributions in Sydney’s memory to one of three non-profits for which she was particularly passionate:
