Johnny Petrina, 47, passed away on March 17, 2022. A former resident of Belmont, NC, he and his family had been living in Opelika, AL, since 2007. Born in 1975 in Targu Mures, Romania, to Valentina & Vasile Petrina, he was the fifth of eight children.
Johnny lived a life of service, starting with his wife of 24 years, Donna Allen Petrina, whom he faithfully loved and served along with their two sons, Jordan and Jared, teaching and equipping them to love God and put Him first and to be the best versions of themselves. Johnny loved God and people, serving both exceptionally well, leaving a legacy that will carry on.
Johnny served alongside his wife in ministry at Church of the Highlands, Opelika and previously at Church of the Highlands in Auburn, Trinity United Methodist Church in Opelika, Life Church in Cramerton, NC and Bethel Church of God in Romania. Johnny had the gift of generosity and served as the Legacy Team Coach at Church of the Highlands, Opelika. He loved sharing laughter with friends, investing in people, and giving to others. He lived a life that was selfless and had a huge servant’s heart. He was loved by young and old alike. Johnny had a forgiving heart, and his highest goal was to be pleasing to God.
Johnny came to the States in 1996 from Romania to pursue a degree in Biblical Studies at East Coast Bible College in Charlotte, NC. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Studies in 1999.
Johnny never worked a day in his life; rather, he lived a life of passion by working with cars and the audio/video world. Johnny started working for Safe & Sound Systems out of Charlotte, NC before he started his own company, Integrity Audio Video and then transitioned to the automotive world working at APR, LLC in Opelika, AL and Sonic Tools USA in Auburn, AL. Johnny went back to his roots and opened Bright Audio Video in Auburn, AL in 2020 because he wanted to be of service by helping people with their audio/video needs. He truly saw his work as a calling to love and serve people and he had so much fun while doing it. Johnny was loved by all who knew him, he lit up every room he entered, and he carried the joy of the Lord everywhere he went. He lived a life of legacy, and his legacy will live on through all who knew him.
Johnny is survived by his wife Donna Allen Petrina, his sons Jordan and Jared Petrina; his parents Valentina & Vasile Petrina, Romania; his siblings Paul Petrina (Adrianna) of Arizona, Pusa Bota (Sorin) of Romania, Relu Petrina of Canada, Valentina Gipson (Leroy) of California, Geta Vlaicu (Alin) of Spain, Romy Petrina (Julia) of Romania, Marius Petrina (Ruxandra) of Romania and mother-in-law Linda Allen of Auburn.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at the Church of the Highlands, Auburn East Campus, 2001 E. Samford Avenue at 11:00AM CST. The Celebration will be live streamed through Facebook on Donna Allen Petrina’s account page. The Family will greet friends after the service in the lobby.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Jared Petrina’s College Fund, PO Box 31, Opelika, AL 36803.
Share your condolences and memories with the Petrina family at www.jeffcoattrant.com.