Walter "Dubby" Darwin Johnston

Walter Darwin “Dubby” Johnston passed away peacefully in his sleep on  Monday, April, 1, 2024,  ten days short of his 91^st birthday. 

He was born in Brigham City, Utah on April 11, 1933.  No one is quite sure where the nickname “Dubby” came from, but that is how he was best known by friends and family for nearly his entire life. Dubby’s parents were Russell W. Johnston and Bernice Gertrude Ingram. He was the third of five children born to Bernice.  Leo Reed and Truman McKay “Kay” Nielsen were his older brothers and Donna and Yvonne are his younger sisters. When Dubby was about 11 years old the family moved to Washington Terrace in Ogden, Utah which at the time was housing for government workers during World War II and Bernice worked at the old Army supply depot on 2^nd Street in Ogden. Dubby worked many odd jobs as a young boy and teenager such as a dish washer, bowling pin setter, shoe shine boy, and golf caddy to name a few. This instilled in Dubby a strong, lifelong work ethic.  He also loved athletics and was particularly active playing baseball up through high school.  

While growing up in Washington Terrace, Dubby met the love of his life, Carolyn Harris.   They were high school sweethearts while attending Weber High School.  Dubby graduated from Weber High School in 1952 and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy because his older brother Kay was already in the Navy and the Korean war was still going on. While at boot camp in San Diego, California, and never wanting to be without Carlolyn, Dubby proposed and the two were married while Dubby was home on leave on August 26, 1952. They were happily married for over 71 years and grateful to have been sealed together with their children for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple in 1967.

The young couple moved to Long Beach, California, which was where Dubby’s ship, the Destroyer USS DeHaven (DD-727) was based. Over the next four years Dubby made three long deployments to the Western Pacific on the DeHaven and  became a Store Keeper Third Class (SK3) in the Navy.  Dubby and Carolyn made a lot of great friends and went on fun adventures in California.  After Dubby got out of the Navy in 1956, he and Carolyn stayed in Southern California and Dubby worked several jobs to include a Ford car assembly plant, a gas station, and the Farmer’s Coffee Company. In June of 1958 they welcomed their first child into the family, Mark Darwin Johnston.  Shortly after Mark’s birth, the family packed up all their belongings and moved back to Utah to be closer to family. They eventually settled in Sunset, Utah where they would raise the rest of their children, Craig Walter Johnston born in August 1960, and Lanny Golden Johnston born in September 1966.  

Dubby used his GI Bill veteran education benefits to learn to be a metal machinist. He eventually got a job as a machinist on Hill Air Force Base.  From there he decided he wanted more from a career and started taking college night classes at Weber State College, graduating with a degree in logistics in 1976. This helped his career advance, eventually rising to a management position over large equipment planning and procurement. He retired from Hill Air Force Base in 1990 after 25 years of civil service.

Dubby was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly after Dubby and Carolyn moved into their new home in Sunset, they started attending the local Ward congregation regularly and serving in various callings. Dubby was very active in the church athletics program, playing softball, basketball and volleyball, making many lifelong friends and great memories along the way.

He served in many callings in the church over many years to include Ward and Stake Clerks, Counselor in a Bishopric, and Ward and Stake Athletics Director to name a few.  Dubby and Carolyn also volunteered for several years in the recorder’s office at the Ogden, Utah temple.

After Dubby retired from Hill Air Force Base, he became an avid golfer, golfing as much as three times per week. It was a great form of exercise, and he made many more great friends along the way. One of his greatest joys later in life was being out on the golf course with his boys and grandsons. Dubby was also an avid BYU and Utah Jazz fan and almost never missed any games on the TV.

Some other things Dubby did during retirement was to volunteer as an usher for several years at the Weber State University Dee Events Center for sporting events and concerts and he was an event volunteer during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

In 2000, Dubby and Carolyn decided to sell the home they had lived in for over 30 years and built a single level home in Clinton that would be easier to take care of in their later years. Many wonderful family gatherings and celebrations have occurred in both homes. Dubby loved his family very much and was proud of each of his three sons, and their families and always wanted to know what everyone was up to and cheered them on in all of their successes and endeavors. He loved being a grandpa and great grandpa and rarely missed any important events in all of our lives.

In 2013, Dubby completed compiling his life history and this is how it ended in his words.

“I would like to end with my testimony of the church and gospel. I believe in God the Eternal Father and in His son, Jesus Christ.  I believe that families can be together for eternity.  I believe the scriptures to be the word of God.  I believe we have living prophets on the earth today.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Walter Darwin Johnston is preceded in death by his parents and his two brothers, Reed Nielsen and Kay Nielsen. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Harris Johnston, his sisters Donna Bernice Weyburn and Yvonne Lula O’Brien, his sons Mark (Karen) Johnston, Craig (Kimberly) Johnston, Lanny (Linda) Johnston, his four grandchildren, and three great grand-children, with a fourth great grand-child on the way.

Graveside services will be held at 11 am on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Clinton City Cemetery, 750 W 800 N.

Friends may visit family from 6 to 8 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2024  and from 09:30 to 10:30 am on Friday morning at Lindquist's Roy Mortuary, 3333 W 5600 S, Roy.

Interment will include military honors.

Please send condolences to: www.lindquistmortuary.com.

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