Story and photo Miriam Raftery
Photo: Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra Janway, at a 2009 rally with then-Supervisor Dianne Jacob in Santee, where Johnson and his wife were honored for their charitable foundation’s generous donations to local schools.
June 27, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – The parents of NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson’s wife, Chandra Janway, Johnson, were found dead today at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, along with Johnson’s 11-year old nephew. Raised in El Cajon, Johnson has long been hailed as a hometown hero not only for his NASCAR wins, but also for the generosity of the foundation that he and his wife ran, donating millions of dollars to help children in need and benefit local schools.
Police investigators report that they believe Terry Janway shot and killed her husband, Jack Janway, and their grandson, Dalton, then killed herself.
NASCAR issued this statement. “We are saddened by the tragic deaths of members of Chandra Johnson’s family. The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support and condolences during this difficult time to Chandra, Jimmie, and the entire Johnson and Janway families.”
Johnson has cancelled his planned participation in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series in Chicago due to the tragedy, according to his race team, Legacy Motor Club.
“The Johnson family has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made,” the team posted on Twitter.
Johnson retired as a full-time racer in 2020, but has since returned to compete in several races. He is one of the most successful race car drivers of all times, tied for seven Cup Series championships with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, the most in NASCAR history. He is expected to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame once his racing career ends.
But it’s the Granite Hills High School graduate’s philanthropy that has had the greatest impact locally. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation, with Jimmie Johnson as president and Chandra as vice president, has given over $13 million dollars to organizations, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, and schools including Crest Elementary and Granite Hills High. All told, the foundation has helped 167 schools and 150 nonprofits, according to the foundation website.
“We are most proud of you,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob told Johnson and his wife at a 2009 rally in their honor outside Lowe's (Johnson's NASCAR sponsor) in Santee. “Besides the greatness you’ve achieved, you’ve given back to your community—you haven’t forgotten your roots.” The San Diego County Board of Supervisors named December 1st “Jimmie Johnson” day in his honor and Santee Mayor Randy Voepel gave Johnson the keys to the city.
Jimmie and Chandra Johnson married in 2004, two years after they met. She has a degree in business communications from the University of Oklahoma, her home state She has had a successful modeling career; there is even an unofficial fan page for her on Facebook, where supporters posted messages of sympathy tonight on hearing of the family's devastating losses.
Chandra and Jimmie Johnson’s two children, Genevieve, 12, and Lydia, 9, have often been seen cheering Johnson on at his races. Now the children must cope with losing their grandparents and young cousin.
Johnson praised his wife on Instagram last month, when he posted a photo of Chandra and their children along with this message: ”Happy Mother’s Day Chani! Thank you for giving our family 100 percent every day. We love you.”
Tonight, police in Muskogee have provided additional details on the deaths. A woman presumed to be Terry, Chandra’s mother, called 911 to report that someone had a gun in the home. When police arrived, they found a body, heard a gunshot, and then found two more bodies. No motive has been disclosed.
Jack Conway, Chandra’s father, was a well-known chiropractor whose clients included Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman. “It was traumatizing to find out that a long-standing family who had made so many contributions to our community were involved in this type of incident,” he told a FOX TV station in Muskogee. ”It was even more bone-chilling to find out there was a child involved.”
Photo, right: Jack and Dalton Janway, from Jack Dalton's chiropractor site on Facebook.
This is not the first tragic family loss for Chandra. Her brother, Jordan Janway, a parachute instructor, died in a 2014 skydiving accident at Skydive San Diego.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts or experiences depression, help is available. Please call 988, or dial the San Diego County Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. You are not alone.
