Roger Lee Johnston was born on 17 July 1933 in Clifton, Greene Co., OH; son of Frank Garrison and Treva L. (Coffman) Johnston. He married Mary Gertrude Paul daughter of
Henry Joseph Paul and
Gertrude Miller, on 14 March 1959 in St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Fairborn, Greene Co., OH. Roger Lee Johnston died on 3 February 2021 in Yellow Springs, Greene Co., OH,
Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):
Roger “Lee” Johnston, long-time resident of Yellow Springs died February 3, 2021 at Friends Care Center. Lee was the youngest of 5 children born in a home just outside of Clifton on July 17, 1933 to Frank and Treva Johnston. The family moved to Yellow Springs on Valentine’s day, 1943. Lee was active in sports during his school years and would later referee Soccer with Lee Morgan and eventually softball throughout the Dayton area. Upon graduating from Old Bryan High School in 1953 Lee was drafted into the Army, and served in Korea with the 24th infantry division until 1955. Lee and his good friend David Lamming, another drafted Yellow Springs resident, both made it back stateside safely and often reminisced about their service time together for years to come.
Soon after his return from military service, Lee married his loving wife, Mary, on March 14, 1959 at St. Mark’s Lutheran church where he had been a member since 1958. Lee sat on church council, was the church facility manager as well as a cherished member of the congregation. Mary and Lee would have celebrated 62 years of marriage this March. They had two sons, Eric and Marc, who were raised in town. The Johnston’s could often be found taking family vactions. Lee loved fishing and spent a great amount of time outdoors walking his dog Kane and working in the garden until the end of his life.
Like many growing up in the depression era, Lee started working as a kid at Furay’s Drug store, then the Pure Oil station. Over the course of his adult life he worked as a Yellow Springs Police Officer, at Vernay’s Laboratory, and owned the Sinclair station on the south end of town. He eventually sold the station to Bob Baldwin who owned Village Ford Motor Company. Lee was a foreman with Morris Bean and Co. and he retired in 1990. In “retirement” he worked part time at Deaton’s Hardware and did odd jobs for many Yellow Springs residents including becoming a caretaker and dear friend to resident Frank Kakoi who preceded Lee in death.
Lee was Yellow Springs through and through and will be missed by his neighbors, friends, family and all those who he made smile with his contagious laughter. Lee is preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Eileen, Ruth, Bill ad Marjorie. Lee is survived by his wife Mary still living at their home in Yellow Springs, son Marc and his wife Kathleen, also of Yellow Springs, son Eric and his wife Julia of Portland, Oregon and grandchildren: Moriah, Danny, Kate, Mason, Kaden and Lida.
A memorial service for Lee will be held June 5th at 11 am at Glen Forest Cemetery with a military salute and reception following.
He was buried in February 2021 in Glen Forest Cemetery, Yellow Springs, Greene Co., OH, Findagrave #223377123.