Don Johnstone

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Donald "Don" Johnstone (~1940 to ~2016) lived at 80 South Hill Street, Thunder Bay, for many years. He was an early adopter and reseller of computers in the mid-1990s to Ron Currie.

Connection to Ron Currie

Here is a coincidence: his sister-in-law Joan's great-grandfather John Gray Snook is the great-great-grandfather of Ron Currie, his neighbour on South Hill Street!

Two neighbours on Hill Street South are connected through a shared Snook ancestor from Salisbury, but only one of them (Ron) carries the bloodline, while the other (Don)'s brother married into it.

This makes Don the brother-in-law of Ron's second cousin once removed.

Ron Currie lineage:

  • John Gray Snook ( ) ->
  • child George Snook (1864 Salisbury - (moved to Port Arthur 1893) - died 1930 Port Arthur pump foreman) ->
  • child Anna Snook (1893 - 1989) ->
  • child Jack Currie (1915 - 2009) natural gas salesman from Port Arthur ->
  • child Ron Currie (1947 - ), a high-school mathematics teacher living at 71 Hill Street South ->
  • child Michael Currie (1982 - )

Don Johnstone lineage:

Early Life

Don was born to Archibald Johnstone, who served for many years as a grain inspector for the federal government in Port Arthur, and his wife Grace Brown Johnstone. [1]

Siblings

Don was one of at least ten children born to or raised by Archibald Johnstone and his wife Grace Brown Johnstone. Two of the siblings, Jack and Robert, carry the surname Kerr, indicating that Grace Brown was previously married to a Mr. Kerr before marrying Archibald Johnstone. Jack and Robert Kerr are therefore half-siblings to the Johnstone children (same mother, different father), though the family made no distinction between them in any obituary.

The siblings, in approximate birth order:

Marriage and Family

He married Martha "Marty" Ewert, a Ukrainian woman who died sometime after her brother Peter died in October 2015. [5] [7] [8]

According to Nancy Greenwald, Don had three kids:

  • Dr. Shawn Johnstone
  • Jan Gordon Johnstone (3 May 1968 - 10 December 2011). Died at Health Science North Facility, Sudbury. [4]
  • Renee Jasmine Johnstone, Kinesiologist, published research at Lakehead in 1995, and who worked at Nipissing University from 2019 until June 2025, at the School of Physical and Health Education, when she retired. Presumably as of 2026 she still lives in North Bay. [3]

In the 1990s his children practiced the bagpipes in his backyard.

He was still alive as of 2014 according to his nephew Terry Hooke's obituary. [5]

He died in about 2016, but like his wife, no obituary was published. His children and family did learn about his death. [10]

Sources

[1] JOHNSTONE, Jan Gordon Jan was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario on May 3, 1968. Jan died suddenly on Sunday, December 10, 2011 [4].

[2]

James Bell (Jim) Johnstone died in a Winnipeg hospital on Friday, September 28 following a lengthy illness, at the age of 81. He was born and raised in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) Ontario, the son of Archibald Johnstone, who served for many years as a grain inspector for the federal government. Jim, who resided most of his adult life in Kenora, Ontario, worked for 37 years with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), in most recent years as a passenger train conductor. He served briefly in the Canadian Army during the latter months of World War II but was discharged when it was discovered that he was under age. He is survived by a daughter, Jacquie, who resides in Winnipeg, and four brothers and sisters, including a brother Donald, who resides in Thunder Bay. The others are Richard Johnstone and Jean Lightfoot, who reside in Abbotsford, B.C. , and Grace Giesbrecht, of Chilliwack, B.C. A young brother, Bruce Johnstone, who died in 2002, served with the Thunder Bay police department for more than 30 years, including several years as an assistant chief and head of detectives."

"JAMES BELL JOHNSTONE After a short illness, James (Jim) Johnstone passed away September 28, 2007 at the Grace Hospital. Jim was born August 30, 1926 in Port Arthur, Ontario. He moved to Kenora, Ontario in 1956 where he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway until his retirement in 1990. In 1997, he moved to Winnipeg to be closer to his family. Jim is survived by his daughter Jacquie Johnstone; granddaughter Chantelle Johnstone; daughter-in-law Judy Johnstone; brothers, Jack Kerr (Jan), Dick Johnstone and Don Johnstone (Martha); sisters, Grace Giesbrecht (Dan) and Jean Lightfoot (Jon); brother-in-law Urho Tuhkanen and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son Brian Johnstone; parents, Archibald Johnstone and Grace Brown Johnstone; brothers, Robert Kerr and Bruce Johnstone (Joan) and sisters, Dorothy Hooke (Terry), Viola Tuhkanen and Marion Johnstone. The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at the Grace Hospital Emergency Room and on the 5th floor for their excellent care and understanding. In accordance with the family's wishes, cremation will be taking place and no memorial service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations to Autism Society of Manitoba would be greatly appreciated. neil bardal inc 949-2200 nbardal.mb.ca"

- 30 Sep 2007

[3] Knee torque kinetics during highland dancing / Renee Jasmine Johnstone. . Johnstone, Renee Jasmine. (1995). (Lakehead University) [5]

Johnstone, R.J., & Bauer, T. (1993). Lower extremity misalignment and kinetics in highland dancing. Unpublished manuscript, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

[4] https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/jan-johnstone-obituary?id=41523361 "JOHNSTONE, Jan Gordon Jan was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario on May 3, 1968. Jan died suddenly on Sunday, December 10, 2011 at the Health Science North Facility, Sudbury. A planned Celebration of Jan's life will be announced at a future date."

Note: she is NOT the same Jan Johnstone that married a Gordon and was chairwoman of the Bluewater District School Board in December 2011, and later ran for office as NDP [6], but probably not since she was running for office as of 2022 [7], because she was still around Kincardine in 2022 running for office.

[5] https://www.blakefuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Terrence-Hooke?obId=12265019

[6] Bruce Johnstone obituary [8]

[7]

ERNEST "ERNIE" EWERT 1928 - 2004 At St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener, on Thursday, June 17, 2004, age 75 years.Brother of Peter Ewert, Cathy and her husband Jake Wiens of Waterloo, Martha and her husband Don Johnstone of Thunder Bay and Elfrieda and her husband John Krahn of Pener Island, BC. He will also be remembered by his brother-in-law, Fred Pfisterer and his wife Kay of Waterloo and sister-in-law Irene Rowden of Port Hope.He was predeceased by his parents, Helen (Riediger) and Isaac Ewert; brother Rudy Ewert and sister Helen Pfisterer. His sister-in-law Elenor Ewert died within hours on the same day as Ernie.Ernie was a member of Grace Mennonite Brethren Church in Waterloo.Friends are invited to share their memories of Ernie with his family at the Edward R. Good Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo today (Monday) from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be held in the chapel of the funeral home on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 at 2 p.m., with Pastor Jim Cober officiating. Interment to follow in Woodland cemetery , Kitchener. Following the service at the cemetery , friends and relatives are invited to the Reception Room of the funeral home for refreshments and a time to visit with the family.In memory of Ernie, donations to the Mennonite Central Committee would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy and can be arranged through the funeral home, phone 745-8445

[8] https://erbgood.com/tribute/details/9880/Peter-Ewert/obituary.html

Passed away peacefully at Columbia Forest Long Term Care in Waterloo, on Tuesday, October 13, 2015.

Born March 28, 1927 in Waldheim, Ukraine, and a member of Grace Mennonite Brethren Church.

Brother of Martha and Don Johnstone, Elfrieda Krahn, Cathy and Jake Wiens and brother-in-law Fred Pfisterer and his wife Kay. Also survived by his cousins, nieces and nephews.

Predeceased by his loving wife Elenor (Pfisterer) Ewert (2004), his father Isaac Tobias Ewert, his mother Helen (Riediger) Ewert, his brothers Rudolph and Ernie, sister Helen Pfisterer and brother-in-law John Krahn.

The Ewert family will receive friends at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Friday, October 16th at 10:30 a.m. in the Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Jim Cober officiating. A reception will follow in the Fireside Room of the Funeral Home with interment at Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo following the reception.

Condolences for the family and donations to the Mennonite Central Committee or the Canadian Bible Society may be arranged through the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.

[9] "Jody was a friend of ours during our days at U of M where we met through Bison Football. She was part of the training staff and quickly became a good friend. She was someone who was capable of brightening anyone's day. She drove up from Winnipeg back in 1986 and attended our wedding in Thunder Bay ON., a gesture that was much appreciated. It was with great sadness that we received this news and our prayers are with Jody's family. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten. God Bless you, Jody. Sincerely: Brad and Carolyn Johnstone, Fonthill, Ontario." [9]

[10] Emails from Renee and Shawn, 2026

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