Mary Lee Rainey Johnston was born in Louviers, Colorado, on 1 October 1926 to Sterling Price Rainey and Kathryn Cunningham Rainey. She attended Colorado State University, married her high school sweetheart, Thomas William Johnston, in April of 1947, and embarked on a 20-year career in the toughest job in the Air Force, a military spouse. During those 20 years she gave birth to and reared four children in assignments in locations as diverse as Colorado, Georgia, Alaska, Japan, and Texas. Mary Lee served as scout leader, team mother, PTA officer, bowling coach, Sunday school teacher, and loving family matriarch. After she and Tom retired from the Air Force, they returned to Colorado to live in Littleton in 1968, and Mary Lee began a tradition of opening her home there and in her beloved Grand Lake to any and all. It was during this period when Mary Lee began work at Blue Cross/Blue Shield as a file clerk and progressed to become a claims director. Her organizational and leadership talents were again confirmed in her positions at the Colorado Medical Society where she lovingly earned the nickname, “Sarge”. Mary Lee was a charter member of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Castle Rock, proudly transferring her membership there from her childhood church in Louviers. If the word of God tells us to love our neighbor and do unto others as we would have them do unto us, then Mary Lee was the word of God brought to flesh.
Mary Lee was preceded in death by her son, Ronald Linne Johnston (Colonel, USAF). After her death on 17 May 2018, she is survived by her husband of 71 years, Thomas William Johnston (Major, USAF); her brother, Sterling Rainey of California; her daughter, Karen Lee Johnston; her sons, Steven Dan Johnston (Colonel, USA) and Gary Earl Johnston; eight grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren (with a 12th on the way).
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