Wayne Smith Johnston

Wayne Smith Johnston, age 77, passed away on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on January 5, 1945, in Port Arthur, Texas, to Lottie Lorena Smith Johnston and John Byron Johnston, Jr.

An important note about Wayne: he was fluent in a second language, and that language is LOVE - for his best girl, Sue; for his kids and grandkids; for his friends and extended family; and for animals, dogs, especially; for hunting, fishing, wildlife and the outdoors; for Texas Tech and Red Raider football; for his country and his church; and for beer of all kinds and Texas BBQ. His words and deeds were consistently populated with his effusive use, in both word and deed, of this love language.

Waynes parents raised their three boys on a ranch outside of Kerrville in Harper, Texas, and these rural roots both grounded Wayne throughout his life as well as fed who he became: a salt-of-the-earth family man who loved the outdoors, animals, and nature and who ensured that love for these things permeated the life of his family. Wayne went to school in a one room schoolhouse in Harper, ultimately graduating from Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, in 1963.

After high school, Waynes love for the hill country led him to his best fortune: a blind date with his future wife, Sue Cunningham Johnston at Criders in Hunt, Texas. For Wayne, a date at a hill country dance hall that also featured a rodeo was sheer perfection, as he partook in the rough and tumble sport of bull riding. And Sue, a student at the University of Texas and from nearby Uvalde, Texas, wowed him, but she wasnt as certain about him that night, as he dropped a beer on her foot, but Wayne persisted, and they continued dating, even when he was drafted during the Vietnam War in 1966 and was deployed to Germany; make no mistake, Wayne was always a patriotic man who loved his country, but when he was drafted into the Army, he used his cowboy charm to talk his way into an assignment to Germany, where Sue and both his and her parents ultimately joined him for a grand event: the marriage of Sue and Wayne on November 7, 1968.

When his military service concluded, the couple moved to Lubbock, Texas, with both obtaining their degrees from their beloved Texas Tech University, and with Wayne keeping close to his rural roots by graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Agronomy in 1972. While they were students, more good fortune was bestowed upon the couple: they welcomed their daughter Jamie and son Bryson into their family. Texas Tech was and is an integral part of the familys life; indeed, both kids graduated from the school, and the entire family celebrated Sue and Waynes 50th wedding anniversary by attending Texas Techs Homecoming football game. Upon graduation, the family wanted to get back to the hill country and settled in San Antonio, Texas. Not surprisingly, most of Waynes career was in agricultural sales; he owned a tractor dealership for several years, and the culmination of his career was spent in sales of mechanic specialty products.

Wayne didnt just speak the language of love - he breathed, walked, and lived it, daily, with his unwavering love for and dedication to his family being paramount. Wayne would and did sacrifice anything and everything to make sure that his family came first. One of his nieces recalls the profound impact upon her that Wayne would never leave a conversation without telling her that he loved her; he was consistent in ensuring that his loved ones never had to guess how he felt about them. His children recall being told that they were unstoppable in their pursuits, encouraging them all along their journeys, and of course he imbued this belief and his all-encompassing support that accompanied it into his grandsons as well. Wayne likely carried this mantra to strangers as well; indeed, he knew no strangers, of the human or dog variety. Wayne was the ultimate dog whisperer; his family jokes that if theres a second life to be had, theyd all come back as Wayne Johnstons dog!

A critical part of Waynes love language was his generosity, kindness, and his genuinely sweet nature. He just seemed organically happy - his family cant recall a day when he wasnt full of cheer, no matter what the situation. And his hugsas his daughter says, her dad was the first person she went to with any problem, and he "he hugged with his soul;" many of us have been the lucky recipient of his enveloping, healing hugs.

Another way that Wayne invested in his family took the form of family vacations all over the country, cruises, and abroad in Europe, never leaving anyone out on all activities and fully participating himself - he was an all-in kind of guy. If the kids wanted to go to a theme park? Done! To these requests, he never said no because he knew that it enriched their life experience and fed their world views.

And his two grandsons - also the loves of his life. When the boys were young, Wayne would spend hours letting them climb all over him like a jungle gym, and the trio spent hours playing with trains. He avidly kept up with and watched - in person as much as possible - as Jack became an accomplished lacrosse player, becoming a varsity player as a freshman in high school, and enjoyed the outdoors with hiking and camping trips with his father Bryson in far west Texas and other parts of the country. As to Benton, Wayne watched him raise and show pigs in major shows, and he was able to recently be present (alongside Sue, of course) as Bentons high school BBQ team won the national championship! Wayne loved being the taste-tester of Bentons brisket as he perfected his recipe; both grandfather and grandson were in heaven. Before Waynes death, he was thrilled to learn that Benton made the varsity football team, a perseverance that Wayne had long encouraged.

Waynes passing was unexpected, sudden, and instant, but he lived his life in such a way that he had no regrets; everything important was in place or fulfilled. Almost as if foreseeing the future, he recently told a close friend that he was content and at peace with his life - a sign of a well-lived life cloaked in love from beginning to end.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, John Byron Johnston, III. He is survived by his wife, Mary "Sue" Cunningham Johnston, to whom he was married for 54 years, and their spiritual union continues until they are reunited; daughter, Jamie Lynn Johnston, her partner, Tony Bortoni, and her son, Benton Tyler Ward; son, Wayne Bryson Johnston, and his wife Rita and son, Jack Bryson Johnston; his younger brother, Richard Joe Johnston and wife, Candy; and many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.

All the life lessons and the value system he taught his children and grandchildren were influenced by Waynes strong belief in God. He was a church member of Northwood Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder and Deacon for many years, and it is fitting that a Celebration of Life Service life will be held at the church on August 13th at 2 pm at this same church that has been his spiritual home for almost all of his adult life. The family hopes you can join them for this service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Northwood Presbyterian Church, 518 Pike Road, San Antonio, Texas 78209.