Eric Johnston Obituary/Funeral

Our dear Friend passed away. Eric Johnston was just like all of us amazing and not.  But with his 18 months of extended life knowing there was a quick end in sight...he was AMAZING.  

On September 6, 2023, Eric Christopher Johnston died of pancreatic cancer at the young age of 61. With one last taste of a Nielsen's concrete and while listening to Michael Jackson, he passed peacefully, surrounded by the people who loved him most.

Born June 11, 1962, to Oliver and Nina Leishman Johnston in Brockton, Massachusetts, Eric was the third of six children. He was the peacemaker, having forged and maintained a special relationship with each of his siblings.

Eric attended Cottonwood High School, straddling the line between cool and geek as a cheerleader and member of the Jazz Band. (We'll let you decide which is which.) He subsequently graduated from Brigham Young University. On June 23, 1990, he married his best friend, Kimberly Cannon, in the Salt Lake Temple. Eric earned a Medical Degree from St. Louis University and then completed an Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at University of Kansas in Wichita and a Foot and Ankle fellowship in Seattle. Working at Mountain Orthopaedics for over 25 years, he blessed the lives of many. He was adored by his patients, work colleagues, and other medical professionals throughout the state (except when he was their patient).

Eric loved serving people. He made deep and lasting connections as a missionary in Paris, Bishop of the Canyon Estates Ward, and during his 12-year stint with the Deacons. His infectious smile was a window to his giant, generous heart. Whether it was buying snow tires for a stranger, listing things on KSL only to give them away for free when the buyer came to pick them up, running a free triage clinic in the living room, or sending an extra $2,000 to the seller of the boat he bought because he knew the seller could use the money, Eric lived by the philosophy that money was meant to provide for your needs, make memories, and care for others.

After being diagnosed on February 18, 2022, Eric retired from his medical practice and spent the following 18 months making memories and strengthening relationships with family and friends. He seized every opportunity for a joyful adventure while simultaneously preparing the people he loved for the inevitable. Eric was 31 years old when his dad died of malignant melanoma, and he felt like there were many things that were left unsaid. So, Eric humbly and bravely invited each of his children to talk openly and honestly about the things that matter most. Eric left with the confidence that each of his children unquestionably understood the absolute love he had for each of them.

Despite being incredibly sick the last 18 months, Eric continued to enjoy all wheeled things (bikes of the mountain, road, and dirt variety), traveling (5 national parks, Oregon, Southern California, Arizona, New York, but most notably, a dream trip to Ireland and Scotland where he was able to visit the home of his fourth great-grandfather), and food, especially smoked meats and anything containing sugar.

Eric will be sorely missed by his wife Kim, his children Tanner (Jessicah Starke), Hunter (Savannah Brown), Rachel, Olivia, and William, granddaughter Eleanor, his mom Nina, his siblings Mark (Lynne), Mike, Lisa (Craig Ward), Jeremy (Camille), Scott (Chantell), the Tom and Gayle Cannon family, and the second dog he didn't want (but then loved), Nellie. Greeting him in heaven were his father, Ole, and the first dog he didn't want (and loved even more), Missy.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, September 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to commemorate Eric's final months since his diagnosis, complete with sweet rolls and milk. His funeral will be the following morning, Saturday, September 16, at 11 a.m. Both celebrations will be held at the Mueller Park Stake Center, 1800 Mueller Park Road, Bountiful, UT.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Sharing Place or take your family for caramel cashew concretes at Nielsen's in memory of Eric.__________

Diane Lake, Heidi Bingham, Kimi Farley, Kim Johston, Laura Belnap , Melinda Welch

Eric Johnston’s celebration of life and Funeral were this weekend.  Doc is officially put to rest.  Friday night a bunch of us, Si, Laura, Kimi, Diane, Heidi and myself were in charge of gathering 600+ homemade cinnamon rolls and  400+ little milks and water to serve at this celebration.  Diane and Heidi were on Si’s “ roll team” while Kimi and I were on Laura’s “milk team”-- my homemade cinnamon roll game is not good.    The celebration was really nice.  Eric’s body was laid out in a side room with flowers and quiet and the noisy greetings and condolences took place in the Cultural hall.  All of this was at our Mueller Park church.  Eric planned this whole shindig and his funeral before passing.  Eric made a bucket list of 100 things he wanted to do once he found out he had cancer and just months to live.  There were displays all around celebrating his last 18 months…this was so different and really sweet.  Things on his list like teaching his girls how to ride a motorcycle and a stick shift, eating a hot dog at Nathan’s Hotdog in NYC, seeing Adele, Garff  Brooks, and Taylor Swift in concert, taking a lot of family pictures, see Mount Rushmore, climb to as many waterfalls as possible in Glacier National Park, and make sure he has ALL of the good and hard conversations with his kids.  He was such an inspiration for living large til the end. 

The Funeral had 3 musical numbers.  HE asked me to sing, “It is Well with my soul” as the opening song– and by the end chorus I had everyone in the congregation join in the chorus with me.  It was so beautiful–overwhelmingly so.  Not a dry eye…including mine. Bob Farley just figured out the accompaniment to my song…he is so talented.  Eric had all of his kids speak and his little brother Scottie, a middle musical number of his brother playing the piano of “Come come Ye Saints” and then another family friend did a final musical number for the closing song– Untitled Hymn– “Fly to Jesus and Live.”   To top it all off, as soon as the closing prayer was said and we were told to stand, a bagpiper started playing “Amazing Grace” and came into the chapel to escort the family and the casket out.  So powerful.   My friend Kim, his widow, was the epitome of grace, love and caring for everyone she talked to.  I guess this is where you are at when you have 18 months to really plan the ending of a life.  Still so sad..and so much unknown.  Her kids all leave and get back to their regular lives and by the middle of Oct she is alone, and then she will need all of us. 

Kim and Eric with their angels.....