Tam Community Mourns Johnnie Daniels, Hiker Found Dead

In title, San Rafael resident Johnnie Jean Daniel worked since 1999 as an attendance clerk at Tamalpais High School. But she also served as a councilor for many kids, lending a concerned and empathetic ear during tough times.

“If anyone needed help or a person to talk to, she was there,” said Camille Barker, who will be going into her junior year at Tam High when school starts on August 21.  

Barker remembers going into Daniel’s office the day her dog died, and her mother was picking her up from school early.

“She talked me through it, and helped me get through the first part of the stage,” she said. Barker is also a competitive Irish dancer, and they would talk about how Daniel did Appalachian clogging when she was young. 

“It’s going to be a strange first week at school without her,” Barker said.

A body was found in Sequoia National Park on Saturday, and rescue crews suspended a three-day search for Daniel, 65, who was reported missing the morning of Thursday, August 8. She had been expected back three days earlier.

Tulare County sheriff's Sgt. Chris Douglass confirmed the body was that of Daniel, the Marin Independent Journal reports. 

The National Park Service believes Daniel started her hike on Sunday, August 4 from the Cold Springs Campground in the Mineral King area in the southern portion of the Sierra Nevada.

Her body was found roughly 1,000 feet above Monarch Lake, where cold temperatures have reportedly been “challenging.” Daniel was an experienced hiker who often went on solo trips, and was very familiar with the area where she was hiking, said Mill Valley School Board President Leslie Wachtel.

“We all hope that whatever happened, it was fast,” Wachtel said.

Daniel got remarried just over a year ago, and was set to retire in December. She has two adult children, a son and a daughter.

Barbra Ann Schora, a Mill Valley resident who knew Daniel for close to 30 years, said they played softball together, partied together, and crossed paths several times over the years. 

"Johnnie isn't just one of the most upbeat people I know," Schora said in in a email, "she is THE Most Upbeat Person I've Ever Known Bar None."

Many said they were shocked and saddened to learn of her death. At Tam High, “all the kids had some contact with Johnnie,” Wachtel said. 

“She had a really nice spirit about her,” she said. She was also an incredibly hard worker. 

"Attendance is a tough job," Wachtel said. 

For any student with health issues — from migraines to seizures — she was their point person. Daniel was also in touch with parents when students missed classes, and was in charge of the Senior Awards Night every year. 

"She was always suspicious of you when you said you had to leave for a dentist appointment," Barker said. "Which is to be expected." 

Her enjoyment of the outdoors was also a big part of her life — whether it was climbing a far-off mountain or exploring her own backyard. Wachtel said Daniel would often take a late lunch hour to go for walks behind Tam High, and there's some consolation that she died hiking in the Sierras. 

"She was doing something she loved," Wachtel said.