Jean Jordan Johnston, 96, passed away of natural causes on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 in Panama City Beach, Florida. Friends and family will always remember her vivacious personality, generosity, talented artistry, and incomparable entertaining skills. A beach resident with her late husband, Colonel Robert D. "Johnny" Johnston, she served on the altar guild at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church for years and the Junior League and Women's Club of Panama City. A talented artist, she earned awards and accolades for her water color paintings of local beach scenes.
She dearly loved her family, and they loved her. During the many worldwide transfers in her husband's career in the U.S. Air Force, she volunteered to serve with the Officers' Wives Club as president or special event coordinator. Like others of her greatest generation, she served in civil service during World War II in Orlando, FL as a secretary. There she met the love of her life who was preparing to deploy to Europe as a P-47 fighter pilot.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles L. and Bessie Jordan, as well as eight of her ten siblings. Survivors include her three sons and their families: Robert (Thuy) of Wallace, NC; Patrick (Deana) of Dallas, TX; and Richard (Dianne) of Tallahassee, FL; grandchildren: Carolyn of San Marcos, CA; Michael (April) of Tallahassee, FL; Blake of Atlanta, GA; and, Connor of Tallahassee, FL; and, great grandchildren: Mattox and Morgan of Tallahassee, FL and Johnathan of San Marcos, CA.
A family visitation and celebration of life service is scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, at the Wilson Funeral Home, 214 Airport Road, Panama City, FL. At a later date, her cremains will be inurned at the Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium together with her late husband.