Kirk Loveless Johnston

Kirk, a native Charlottean lived most of his life within a few blocks of Selwyn Avenue, attending Eastover, Alexander Graham and graduating from Myers Park in 1967, where he played the clarinet and authored the paper’s gossip column.

He attended Furman University, then spent the first half of his career in restaurants. He took pride in treating patrons to an exceptional dining experience, and one of his fondest work memories was building his knowledge of California wineries to stock the wine cellar for Slug’s restaurants, where he worked for two decades.

His love for hospitality was overshadowed only by his passion for technology. Forever a tinkerer, he rescued from the trash componentry to create various home-built computers long before desktop PCs were common. This interest in computers (and his weariness over long nights in the restaurant business) led to a midlife career change. Information Technology fed his affinity for learning and problem-solving (but offered no insurance against late hours). Kirk retired from Wells Fargo in 2012.

He was a devoted husband, married for 30 years to Cindy Johnston. They were well-matched, with shared friendships and interests. He vowed to support her in all endeavors (but joked that if she were to run for political office, it would tax that resolve).

He was a wonderful father, who began teaching his daughter to drive in the aisles of the grocery store at age six, in church parking lots at thirteen, and using a stick shift at sixteen. He made Sunday afternoons coveted times by planning weekly projects that generally involved a trip to the auto supply store or the home improvement center.

He loved music: beach music, Jimmy Buffett and Jimi Hendrix were some favorites. He loved the beach, having lived there for several years while he ran a couple of restaurants. He loved the mountains, where he and Cindy had a condominium and a bevy of friends in Hendersonville. And he always answered queries of “How are you?” with the same response: “Peachy Keen.”

Kirk is survived by his daughter, Robin Johnston, and her family, Van, Ben and Jessie Wilson of Charlotte; his sister, Rebekah Baker of Charlotte, and his sister-in-law and family, Bonnie, Tim and Joseph Stewart of Matthews. He was grateful to his niece, Gensie Baker, and her daughter, Maya, who provided loving care to him during his illness. He is preceded in death by his wife, Dr. Cynthia Rose Wilson Johnston, his parents, Mr and Mrs. John W. (Bill and Gensie) Johnston, and his brother, John.

A service of thanks will be held at Myers Park Baptist Church at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, 2016. To honor Kirk, socks will be optional. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Kirk might consider a donation to Hospice and Palliative Care, Charlotte Region, a great comfort in his final months.