Frances Estelle Johnston

Frances was born December 20, 1927, in Portland, Maine to Newton L. Nourse and Marion (Worthing) Nourse. Fran grew up in Portland, traveling each summer to the family farm in Albion, Maine. She was a talented equestrian, showing throughout Maine and other parts of New England. Fran graduated from Deering High School and followed in her father’s and sister’s footsteps, attending Colby College, class of 1949. During her Colby years Fran forged friendships that have lasted a lifetime. She remained a generous and faithful alumnus of her beloved Colby.

Upon her graduation from Colby College, Frances accepted a high school teaching position in Scarborough Maine, but soon moved to New Hampshire where she married and raised three children. Fran taught in Pembroke, Weare and, in 1958, settled at Concord High School, where she remained for the next 23 years. Fran taught a number of subjects at Concord High School including English, US History, and Social Studies, but was most proud of her participation in implementing the Work Study Program at Concord High School, an alternative program combining academics and job skills in the morning and community employment in the afternoon. These were “her kids” – students she loved and supported to be the best they could be – many who continued to stay in touch until her passing. Fran’s other great accomplishment in Concord was to help bring about the first Master Bargaining Agreement for Concord teachers.

Fran enjoyed many activities including duplicate bridge, watching tennis and routing on her beloved NY Giants, who honored her with their biggest “come from behind” win the evening of her passing. It was through bridge that she met her loving husband, Gunnard Z. Johnston, marrying him in 1978. Together, they owned and operated the Apollo Travel Agency, where they were afforded many wonderful trips, traveling throughout the world. After selling the agency in 1987, they built a retirement home in Stowe, Vermont, enjoying a leisurely retirement overlooking the mountains she loved. In 1998 they moved back to Concord’s Heritage Heights/Havenwood community.

Those who knew Frances would describe her as a mentor, a confidante, a friend. She was smart, politically minded, generous and always worked toward breaking down barriers. She lived by the mantra, “the sun is out, the dishes will wait”, and encouraged others to value those small moments and to cease those opportunities for joy and time with family and friends.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Gunnard Z. Johnston, Her sister, Harriet (Nourse) Robinson and her husband Dana, her son, Bernard William McCarthy, Jr., and stepdaughter, Suzanne (Johnston) Swan.

She is survived by her children Susan McCarthy Wiggin (Jonathan), Carol McCarthy, and Gunnard’s children Gunnard Z. Johnson, Jr. (Satsuko), Deborah Johnston-Swenson (Eric), Leslie Johnston (James Duarte), and grandchildren Alexandra Swan, Zachary Swan (Sara), Kristen (Wiggin) Herr (Christopher), Kathleen (Wiggin) Kilmister (Tobin), Joshua Reynolds (Kathleen Huffman), Jared Reynolds (Lyndsey Reimer), Jordan Reynolds, Seung-Gunn Johnston (Nami Franzen), and nine great-grandchildren, as well as her beloved nephews Steven, Davis and Timothy Robinson and their families.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, October 28, 2023, at 2:00 pm, at Tad’s Place on the campus of Heritage Heights, East Side Drive, Concord, NH. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Havenwood Heritage Heights, 33 Christian Avenue, Concord, NH 03301.

The Bennett Funeral Home 209 N. Main St. Concord, NH is assisting the family with arrangements.