Obituaries

Ronald “Ron” Meade Johnston, 82, of Newport News passed away December 12, 2024, at home, following a brief battle with Metastatic Melanoma. Ron was born on August 17, 1942, in Lockport NY to Rodney M. and Virginia W. Johnston. He graduated from Lockport High School, Byrant & Stratton College and then attended the University of Buffalo before being drafted into the U.S. Army, which led him to Fort Eustis, VA. It was there that he met his future wife, Judy Grant. Ron served with the Army in Viet Nam during that war. Following his discharge, he made his home in Newport News where he began his lifelong career in the Financial Services business. He started with Prudential Insurance Company in 1967 and remained there until retiring from Prudential in 1997. During his career with Prudential, he served as a Sales Representative, Division Manager, Assistant to Vice President of Marketing for five states, and General Manager of Operations in Youngstown, OH, Louisville, KY and Newport News, VA. Following his retirement from Prudential, he worked for Merrill Lynch in Williamsburg, VA as an Insurance Administrator from 1997 to 2000, and followed as a Senior Financial Advisor at Goodman & Company LLP and Goodman Financial LLP in Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach, 2000 to 2003. He was employed at Sterling Benefits, LLC as a Senior Benefits Consultant from 2003 until his death.

Ron was outgoing and loved being around his friends and family and will be greatly missed. He loved working in his yard and always had beautiful plants and flowers. He also loved sailing; Carolina Beach music and weekly Shag Dancing at Two Left Feet, enjoying yearly trips with the Shag Club to Myrtle Beach, SC and Ocean City, MD; attending industry conferences; vacationing in Hilton Head, Nags Head and travel in general. He looked forward to meeting weekly with friends at Manhattan’s in Oyster Point, which he did for over 40 years. But one of his greatest joys was watching his children and grandchildren growing up to be great adults.

He was predeceased by his parents, Rodney and Virginia and his loving mother-in-law Helen Grant. He is survived by his wife, Judy, his brother Walter Johnston of Albuquerque, NM; son, Edward “Scott” Johnston of Hampton; daughters, Kristyn Johnston Dickelman and her husband, Matt of Asheville, NC, Beth Johnston Townsend and her husband David of Suffolk, VA; grandsons Caleb and his wife Allison, Seth and Christian Townsend, and granddaughters Campbell and Tanner Dickelman.

His favorite saying was “All things come to those who wait, as long as those who wait work like hell while they wait. Dream Dreams!
The family will receive friends at Peninsula Funeral Home on Thursday, December 19, 2024, from 5-6:30.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorial donations be made to the Peninsula Food Bank or the American Cancer Association.