William "Bill" Lawrence Johnston

Bill passed away at 11 pm on All Souls Day at his home in Louisville, KY. He passed

peacefully and painlessly after one week at the home under hospice care and after the last year of several treatments for liver cancer. Bill was the oldest of five boys born to Louise Lowry Johnston and Lawrence J. Johnston. Both are decreased as are brothers Jim, Tom, and Mark. John still lives in Blairsville, PA.

Bill worked for his father at the Thorofare Market, he was an Eagle Scout and was appropriately named “Class Clown” in the Blairsville High School yearbook, graduating in 1958. After a short stint at St. Vincent College, he served four years in the U.S. Airforce but returned to graduate from the University of Maryland. While in the Airforce he married Voncile Smith, now deceased. They had two children, Katie Johnston and Scott Johnston now married to wife Jessica and their two children, Penny and Finn. The family lived in San Diego where Bill was a Chief Financial Officer in the hospitality business.

Bill faithfully attended every class reunion except the 50th. A booklet at each reunion kept class members up to date as to where each lived and a short autobiography. While in high school, Bill and Jeanie Wetzel were a couple intending to marry one day. As life would have it, Jeanie went to Indiana State College and met and married James McFerren. Jeanie never attended class reunions so the class booklet was the only way they were aware of each other's lives for fifty years, never having any contact. Jeanie and Jim McFerren retired to Florida in 2000 and that is where Jim would pass away. In 2014 the couple began corresponding over the internet. The visits between California and Florida became too cumbersome. They married at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Leesburg, Florida and lived at Lakeside Terrace where Jeanie had lived for thirteen years. Time was spent volunteering for social club activities, cooking at a local shelter for the homeless, collecting clothes and furniture for the homeless and helping several families get into permanent housing. But his favorite activity, was walking shelter dogs every Saturday. Bill was a very kind, caring person, willing to help anyone in need. They were able to take three especially memorable trips to Ireland, Scotland, and Nova Scotia. Bill would have loved to live in Ireland and to trace his Irish roots. In the fall of 2020, despite Covid and Bill’s failing health, Bill and Jeanie moved to Louisville to be near Aimee McFerren and husband Brad Christiana. Both provided tremendous support during moving and doctor appointment as Bill's health declined. He also leaves to miss him James McFerren, Michele Hancock, Matt Christiana and family and several dear friends in Florida.

A funeral mass was held at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Louisville. Lisa (McFerren) Golden was able to watch the funeral on the internet and was instrumental in having the Poor Clare Monastery in Virginia where daughter Sarah is a nun, continually lift him in prayer for which he was so grateful. Inurnment will take place in California at a later date. His love, wit, companionship, and caregiver attitude are missed by many, especially “his soulmate”.