LESLIE J.H. JOHNSTON

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LESLIE J.H. JOHNSTON March 31, 1926 - January 6, 2003 Les Johnston passed away peacefully at the Sioux Lookout District Health Centre on January 6, 2003. He was born in New Liskeard, ON on March 31, 1926 to Ernest and Inez Johnston. The family moved to Geraldton in 1936 where Les attended school and then worked in the Assay Office in Little Long Lac. In 1947, he met Mavis Furlane of Sioux Lookout, a new graduate nurse working in the Geraldton Hospital. They married in 1948 living in the Geraldton area until 1952 when they relocated to Sioux Lookout where Les took a job on the CNR. In June, 1954, Les transferred to Winnipeg bringing Mavis and children, Joanne and Leslie. In August, 1954, Les contracted polio and was treated in the Winnipeg Municipal Hospitals. Mavis remained with him in Winnipeg, working as a nurse, until his rehabilitation was complete and in 1957 they moved to Sioux Lookout where Les became the administrator of the Sioux Lookout General Hospital, a position from which he retired in 1989. Throughout his life, Les enjoyed sports, particularly golf. He followed hockey and curling and played bridge, chess and scrabble. Les was a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church and active in the community as a board member and in executive positions in finance and fundraising for associations including the Boy Scouts, the Knights of Columbus and the Friendship Centre. He particularly enjoyed the service mission and fellowship of the Rotary Club holding the posts of president, secretary and treasurer and becoming a Paul Harris Fellow. In 1982, Rotary International initiated a program to eradicate polio worldwide and Les led the establishment of the local Rotary Clubs Polio Plus Program. Volunteer work with health associations, among them the District Health Council and the Community Care Access Centre were central to his public life. He was a founding member of the Northwestern Independent Living Services incorporated in 1993 to assist physically handicapped adults to live independently. He remained a board member until 1999 by which time their services had became important to his ability to continue living at home. His community service was recognized in 1997 when he received the Jack McKenzie Volunteer of the Year Award. Les Johnston is survived by his wife Mavis; daughter Joanne (Brian McGraw) from Rye Brook, NY; and son Leslie of Sioux Lookout; by his sisters, Iris (Don) Lester and Audrey Johnston from Geraldton, Phyllis (Howard) Rands from Victoria, and Margaret (John) Maybank from Kenora; and by sisters-in-law, Sterina Steward of Oshawa and Gertie Furlane of Sioux Lookout. He was predeceased by younger brother Stanley, brother-in-law Raymond Furlane and sister-in-law Rita Furlane. Friends will be received at the Sioux Lookout Funeral Home on Thursday, January 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with prayers at 7:30 p.m. Memorial service will be held on Friday, January 10 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church at 1:00 p.m. with Fr. Mike Mahoney officiating. Interment of ashes will take place at a later date. If friends so desire, donations may be made to the Polio Eradication Program of Rotary Foundation or Sioux Lookout Handi-Transit through the Sioux Lookout Funeral Home, Box 1449, Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B9.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 09, 2003