Obituary of David Lawrence Johnston

David Lawrence Johnston

September 6, 1939 - February 25, 2020

 

Dave was born in Terrace, BC to parents Ted and Marie Johnston (nee Desjardins. He was one of sixteen children - a family he was very proud of. Remaining siblings to mourn him are Jack, Crescentia (Harrison), Jeanne (Metcalfe), Albert, Agnes (Parks), Margaret (Piffer) Robert,and Roberta (Ekman). Dave has too many nieces and nephews to list - some knew him better than others but all were important to him.

 

Dave set the standard of his excellence at a young age winning a speech competition in school which earned him a rail trip to Canada's capital and federal parliament building.

 

Following graduation, he attended UBC to earn, with honours, his Bachelor of Applied Science in Metallurgical Engineering gaining the respect of his professors and classmates along the way. He returned to continue his study and gain his Masters, being the first off-campus student in his discipline. It

required many road trips between UBC and Trail.

 

Following a short stint in Salt Lake City in a research department, Dave returned to Canada to start his lifetime career with Cominco and its various subsidiaries. He married Dolly De Paoli (Sparwood) and in Trail, BC they started their family. Dave and Dolly have three children and three grandchildren who share his love of the outdoors and will miss him very much: daughter Anita (Hank) Carr, sons Brock (Paula) and Bruce (Hailund), granddaughters Melissa (Chris), Lily, and grandson David.

 

Leaving Trail, Dave’s career in the mining industry took he and his family to many different locations in Canada including Pine Point and Yellowknife, NWT as well as Elkford, Vancouver and Logan Lake, BC. With his work he travelled to unique and far-flung locations in Canada, USA and also around the world, from Japan, Kazakhstan, Australia and European countries including Spain and Turkey. Dave spent much of his career in the far north, which became an important and special place to him

 

Early on Dave had fallen in love with the East Kootenays so it was not a surprise when he chose to retire and build his retirement project home in Cranbrook, commonly know as the 'Wood Shed'. He was very proud to share the home with his wife Audrey and together they made a home that was welcoming to all passing through. Many friends and family members enjoyed a bottle of wine, a hearty meal, and a comfortable bed after a, not so brief, tour of the house. Between them, Dave and Audrey enjoyed a shared life of travels, fishing the Skeena and time with family.

 

Audrey came with two grown daughters; Christine (Brent Andrews) baby Gaige (deceased), Kerry Anne (David Douville) and grandchildren; Shaylyn, (Wade), baby Charlie, and Keenan who all enjoyed countless good times with Grampaw Dave.

 

…And now, Dave can breathe freely, think clearly, and climb mountains, knowing we all love him to the moon and back.

 

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in his honour to the Caregivers Network of East Kootenay Seniors…without whom Audrey would never have survived the first 5 years of this horrific disease OR to The Alzheimer Society of BC

 

Caregivers Network of East Kootenay Seniors

https://www.caregiversnetworkek.com/get-involved/

 

Alzheimer Society of BC

https://alzheimer.ca/en/bc/Get-involved/Ways-to-donate

 

A Celebration of his life will be held in Cranbrook, BC on at a later date. Watch for location under McPhersons Funeral home website.

 

Everyone is Welcome