Dr. Linda Walter Johnston

Beloved mother and grandmother Linda Johnston died peacefully in her sleep during the early morning hours of October 24, 2022 at the age of 83 years old. For the past four years, Linda lived in Pooler, GA at Legacy at Savannah Quarters. However, as the daughter of a Navy Officer and the wife of Presbyterian minister, she called many places home over the years. She had the unique ability to motivate and inspire people everywhere she went.

Dr. Johnston was born on July 8, 1939 in Portsmouth, VA to Dr. Austin Jacob Walter and Mrs. Jane Ross Walter. In 1963 she married William Ross Johnston of Amarillo, TX. They had three children.

She attended Emory University in Atlanta, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Later, Linda returned to school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta where she earned both a Master of Science and a PhD in nursing. She was a member of the nursing faculty at The University of South Carolina Aiken for many years.

Dr. Johnston's career included multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences around the world. She earned her PhD with distinction, developing a Human Field Image Metaphor Scale as part of her dissertation that is still used by researchers today. She was a state advisor for the National Student Nurses Association, and left an endowed scholarship for nursing students upon her retirement from the university. However, if you ever asked her what she considered her greatest accomplishment, she would tell you it was her children and grandchildren.

Linda is survived by her daughter and son-in-love Melissa and Lewis Miles of Savannah, GA, her son and daughter-in-love Robert and Denise Johnston of St. Marys, GA, and son-in-love Louis J Castagnaro of Summerville, SC.

She's also survived by her five grandchildren who were the lights of her life: Rachel Miles Sijacic, Henry (Hank) Miles, Austin Johnston, Brooke Johnston and Hannah Johnston. Recently she'd lovingly welcomed a grandson-in-love Borko Sijacic into her heart, offering a beautiful toast at the wedding. Linda is also survived by her much loved siblings-in-love and her nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Reverend Dr. William R. Johnston and her eldest daughter Mary Beth Castagnaro, as well as her parents, Austin and Jane Walter, and her siblings, Robert Walter, Margaret Wise and David Walter.

Her family is holding a celebration of life service at Christ Presbyterian Church in Pooler on Sunday, November 6 ^th at 4:00 PM. A reception will be held immediately following the service at the Legacy at Savannah Quarters in Pooler.

In lieu of flowers, Dr. Johnston requested gifts be made in her memory to Superhero Success Foundation, a nonprofit for kids with special needs where she served as Vice President on the Board of Directors.

Visit their website at https://superherosuccessfoundationinc.wordpress.com to donate online or contact Board Chair at melissajmiles1@gmail.com to mail a check.

Thomas C. Strickland and Sons Funeral Homes

West Chatham Chapel