E. Ben Johnston, 80, of Greenville, devoted husband for 59 years of Joann Carter Johnston, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Thursday, February 16, 2017.
He was born in White Oak, Georgia to the late Rev. John Patterson Johnston and Ruth Prince Siler Johnston.
He graduated from Davidson College and worked for many years as a managing editor of several small-town newspapers in Illinois, Arizona and California before settling down in Memphis, Tennessee to work for The Commercial Appeal for ten years.
In 1980 he moved to Greenville to be the editor of the ARP Magazine for the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, where he retired.
He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who was passionate about sharing the Gospel of his Savior. He could go inside a Chick-Fil-A to order a meal and come back to the car an hour later and recite the life story of the employee who served him, pray for their upcoming surgery, and remember them forthe rest of his life. He was a member of Devenger Road Presbyterian Church.
He leaves three children: two daughters, Vickie (James) Stewart and Candy Jacobs, both of Greenville; a son, Terry (Mayhoward) Johnston of Roanoke, Virginia; eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildr en.
There will be a memorial ser vice today, Sunday, at 3:00 pm at Devenger Road Presbyterian Church, 1200 Devenger Road, Greer, SC. Private interment will be held Monday at Coddle Creek ARP Church in North Carolina.
Memorials may be made to World Witness ARP, 918 South Pleasantburg Dr. or St Jude Children’s Hospital.
Visit the Mackey Mortuary online guest registry at www.mackeymortuary.com