Richard Allen Johnston, 74, passed away April 19, 2021, after complications from surgery. He was born to Allen Edward and Romania Cox Johnston on August 8, 1946, and raised in the Salt Lake Valley. Rick was a graduate of Skyline High School and the University of Utah with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering. He served in the United States Army in the Corps of Engineers from 1969 to 1972 and was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant.
He married the love of his life, Barbara Ellen Haff in 1974 and they had two children, Benjamin and Rebecca. Rick loved his family more than anything and was fiercely proud of his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren.
Rick worked for 30 years with Salt Lake City Corporation in the Engineering department, ending his career in 2006 as a deputy city engineer. Passionate about golf from a young age, he golfed as much as possible and thoroughly enjoyed spending his retired years trying to hit a very small ball into a small hole hundreds of yards away in as few strokes as possible. He was a member of the Mountain View Golf Course Men’s Association and played in many tournaments there. He also played golf every Monday night with the same group of guys since the 1970s. Besides golf, Rick loved skiing and fly-fishing, especially in Brown’s Park of the Green River, and watching University of Utah Football and Basketball games.
Rick will be remembered for his kindness, patience, and sense of humor, especially his dad jokes. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his children Benjamin (Angela) and Rebecca (Brian Gruetzmacher), and his grandchildren Maya, Oscar, and Iris. He is also survived by his sister, Judy Wintch.
No public services are planned. In lieu of flowers, we suggest a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. We love you, Rick, we’re sad with you gone now, but as you always told us: It’ll feel better when it stops hurting.
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