The Howard Johnston Memorial Page

Howard Johnston died on May 4, 2008, of a heart attack. He was 64 years old.

Kylene loved Howard. True, Kylene loved many people. But to her, Howard was a surrogate grandfather. He cared deeply for Kylene and did many things to help her, including spending many, many hours using his skills to rebuild our house to accomodate her disabilities. A few years ago, when a back problem sidelined me for a few weeks, he helped take care of her. He was a loyal friend to our family. He is loved, and will be sorely missed.

In a way, Howard is lucky. He is the first of us to join Kylene in the next world. I'm sure Kylene was waiting by the gate for him, and when she saw him she ran over and gave him a great big, welcoming hug.

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Testimonials

Howard Johnston was a good man.

I did not always get along with Howard. He could be irascible and pig-headed at times, and our personalities and philosophies often clashed. (It did not help, of course, that I could ofttimes be as irascible and pig-headed as him.)

But if his heart failed him in the end, it seldom failed those he loved. His selfless dedication in trying to make life easier for our disabled daughter, giving of his time and knowledge and resources to adapt our house to her needs, was admirable. His willingness to help friends in need and to contribute to community events were other traits that mark him as a man to be admired.

Howard had failings and faults. He wrestled with demons whose dark natures I could not fathom, and which repulsed me. Being imperfect, like most of us, he sometimes failed, and made some egregious mistakes. But he accepted responsibility for them, and paid for them with his freedom, and eventually his life. Howard, though, never harmed another human being outside of his military service during the Vietnam conflict when our government forced him to.

Howard left us too soon. Too soon for me to take a more circumspective measure of the man and properly express my gratitude, my admiration, and my respect. That is one of my many regrets, and one of my deepest.

God speed, Howard. I have no doubt that His judgment will prove more just and merciful than anything you received here, and more befitting the love you deserve.

~ Jim ~