J E "Ed" Johnston

J E (Ed, “Big Ed”) Johnston, age 72, passed on Saturday, August 1, 2020 in Jacksonville, FL. Ed was born in Pittsburgh, PA on January 30, 1948, the son of Sara Williams Johnston and John Elmer Johnston.

He graduated from Penn Hills High School and continued on to attend business school at Robert Morris.

Ed was a history buff and was especially interested in the civil war. He enjoyed biking, boating, telling jokes and stories and being with his family. He loved yearly family vacations to Nags Head, N.C. where he went crabbing, watched the sunrise over the Atlantic and got stuck in rip tides in the big red inner tube. He enjoyed climbing Jockey’s Ridge and watching the beautiful sunset over Roanoke Sound, as well as getting kicked off of Jockey’s Ridge by the park ranger because it got too late. Good thing he collected flashlights. Ed had an interest in lighthouses and their history and climbed to the top of many in the Outer Banks. He liked the hobby of target shooting as well. He enjoyed watching The Godfather, especially the marathons on Christmas Day. He was the president of the Hartland Lions Club in Hartland, WI for many years as well.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father.

He is survived by his wife Nancy, of 46 years on August 17, daughters Cathy (Chris Clay) Johnston of Madison, WI, and Jill (Justin) Urbanek of Kieler, WI, and 4 grandchildren: Eddie, Ruby, Jack, Julia, and his yorkie Lucy. He is also survived by his brother John (Barbara) Johnston of Hollywood, MD and several nieces and nephews.

The family will have burial services in Pittsburgh, PA at a later date due to Covid-19. Thank you to all his friends and family for their kind words and support.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, or JDRF.

Go Steelers!