Extracted from The Georgetown Times (Georgetown, SC)
Francis Johnstone Jr.
Francis Elliott Johnstone Jr., 98, passed away on October 16, 2009, in Jacksonville, Florida.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Browne Johnstone, daughters Sylvia Bazala and Isabel Schell and their husbands, three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, four stepchildren and their families.
He was a native of Georgetown, South Carolina.
In the 1930s, while working for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), he met his first wife, Monah Colvin, of Jonesboro, Louisiana.
They were married for 51 years until her death in 1987.
He served in the United States Navy, mostly at sea, from 1941 to 1946.
He continued in the Navy Reserve until 1971, retiring with the rank of Captain.
He received degrees from Clemson University, Louisiana State University, and the PhD degree from Cornell University.
He was with the University of Georgia horticulture department as a professor and division chairman from 1951 for over 25 years.
From 1960-1962 he was deputy chief of a U.S. Agency for International Development team from Athens assigned to upgrade plant research in Cambodia.
Johnstone was the founder and developer of the University of Georgia Botanical Garden, later designated the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.
He worked tirelessly to generate funding, support and public awareness.
He served as the first director of the garden until his retirement in 1978.
He enjoyed boating, fishing, hunting, golf, bridge, travelling, and was a champion chess player.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the Garden, State Botanical Garden of Athens, Georgia.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Please visit our online Tribute at www.quinn-shalz.com.
Services under the direction and care of Quinn-Shalz, A Family Funeral Home, Jacksonville Beach, FL.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009