Obituary of (William) Lloyd Johnston

(WILLIAM) LLOYD JOHNSTON P. ENG. The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended,? and with a deep sense of release for Lloyd, and a huge appreciation for the wonderful long life he lived, the family announces the end of his journey on November 15, 2011. William Lloyd Johnston was born on June 7, 1923 in Welwyn, SK to Annie and Archie Johnston, the third of their four children, all of whom have predeceased him. Lloyd was also predeceased by his first wife Norma Hesse. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Delia Johnston (Bourne, Andres); his daughters from his first marriage, Sandra (Gerry) ONeill, Sharon Johnston, (Rod Hume, Kelly, Jasmine and Zoe, and Jill Brown, Andrew, Peyton and Tyler); and Delias daughters, Deirdre Andres, (Andrea East, Chris Redemann, Claire, Audrey, and Liam East), Patti Bolen (Bernie, Jeffrey, Robert and Elsa), Kit Loewen (Allen, Mairin and Alex); sister-in-law Evelyn Johnston; brother-in-law Clifford Dyck; numerous nieces and nephews; as well as the daughter that Lloyd and Delia took into their hearts and homes, Dr. Lita Budiamal (Dr. Stephen Mathai, Prem, Anand and Sathyan). Wonderful memories of spending his youth and childhood on the family farm remained always with Lloyd and he was quick to relate any of them at any time. It was there he learned to ride rodeo, play semi pro baseball and court young women. He was the first student from Welwyn High School to attend university and at graduation the local doctor encouraged him to take medicine, but (with apologies to all in the engineering profession) he thought he wasnt smart enough? and went into engineering. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the U of S in 1946, and it was at the U of S that he met his future wife Norma Hesse. They were married immediately upon graduation and moved to Edmonton where he was the Plant Engineer for Canada Packers for two years. They then moved to Wilcox, SK to operate the farm of his father-in-law. For eleven years they grain farmed during the summer months after which he would return to the U of S during the academic year to teach. At the same time he also furthered his own education and qualified to consult in five engineering disciplines: Mechanical, Electrical, Geo-Technical, Structural and Architectural. They moved to Regina where he established L. W. Johnston Engineering Consultants, and he actively maintained that practice until December 2009. He was employed by Canada Cement and was instrumental in developing the use of fly-ash in cement. He was also employed by SaskPower before completely devoting himself to his chosen fields. In the late 1960s he determined that Regina was ready for a first class Motor Inn, so he designed, built and finally owned the Vagabond Motor Inn (now a Travelodge). Many U of R students of that time will attest to the popularity of the Vag?. In the mid-1990s he became qualified to practice in AB, BC and the NWT, and has completed projects from Holman Island in the Arctic to the US border and from SK to BC. His designs include hospitals, nursing homes, rinks, abattoirs and a mosque. He also consulted on projects in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Dhaka, Bangladesh. After spending four years in Kelowna, the call of the prairies drew Lloyd and Delia back to Regina and the summer home that they owned at Pasqua Lake, where his amazing creativity gave him so many happy hours. He was constantly building, fixing, mending and creating, at times being accused of breaking things just so he could fix them. Lloyd was always active in the community and generously volunteered his time and talents. He was president of the Kinsmen Club and knew the names of the wives and children of every member. As president of the Assiniboia Club he was pleased that it was during his term that women were admitted as members. For seven years he served as the first Chairman of the Board of the Saskatchewan Science Centre. This has remained as one of his proudest achievements, and he was always quick to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of all of the board members. He and Delia enjoyed exploring other countries and cultures, and travelled extensively around the world, venturing far beyond traditional tourist spots. The family wants to thank Dr. Theresa Bradel, Dr. Markovsky and all of the Family Medicine Unit at the Regina General Hospital, Dr. McHattie, Dr. McCarville and Dr. Dewar of the Regina General Hospital, Dr. Marcon of St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto and the entire Palliative Care Staff of the Allan Blair Cancer Clinic. Lloyd has now embarked on his next adventure, and to help him on his way a Memorial will be held at the Saskatchewan Science Centre, 2903 Powerhouse Drive, on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Please use the Kramer Imax Theatre entrance. Flowers are gratefully declined; any memorial donations in Lloyds name may be made to the Saskatchewan Science Centre - It Starts With Kids, 2903 Powerhouse Drive, Regina, SK, S4N 0A1. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com