William 'Will' R. Johnston Jr.'s Obituary
William ‘Will’ R. Johnston, Jr., 72, of Tacoma, passed away on October 19, 2019 with his family by his side. He was born in Tacoma, the son of William, Sr. And Mayble (Kincade) Johnston. He grew up in Puyallup and graduated from high school in 1967. In 1966, he joined the United States Navy reserves in high school and joined the regular Navy upon graduation. He proudly served his country for two tours in Vietnam. Will was a hardworking man, and always wanted to keep himself busy. He loved the outdoors, whether he was camping or working as a white-water rafting guide. He was also talented in woodworking. Making many different things, but most notably was a log swing that was used at camp. He met Virginia in a Parents without Partners meeting and the two shortly became inseparable. The pair have been together for over 30 years, 27 of which they were married. Will had a teacher’s personality and would often give advice to those that would listen. He was a straight-faced gentleman that was “funny as heck”, and will be sadly missed by those who knew him.
Will is survived by his wife, Virginia Johnston; children, Kimberly (Charles) Ford, Kimberly (Adam) Dietrich, Kellie Tucci, Keith (Karyn) Johnston, Patti Beane, and Kristen (Justin) Kano-Mannaz; 16 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and close friends.
A memorial service will be celebrated at 2pm on Tuesday, November 5, in the Aspen Chapel at Mountain View Memorial Park and Crematory, 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood.
Please honor the life and memory of Will by leaving cherished memories, messages, and photos for his family on the guestbook page.
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