Sharon Johnston

Sharon Lee (Stewart) Johnston, 82, of Decatur, Illinois, passed away peacefully at her home on September 23rd, 2021, following a gallant, decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis.A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 AM Saturday November 27, 2021 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Visitation will be 10:00 – 11:00 AM at the church. Burial will be at Fairlawn Cemetery following the mass. Sharon was born June 6th, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Harry Rice Stewart and Vera (York) Stewart. She married Werner Thurman in Mount Clemons, Michigan, in 1957; he preceded her in death. She married David S. Johnston, on February 3rd, 1973, at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan.Sharon was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and aunt, whose example of quiet courage and indomitable spirit in the face of great physical challenges served as an inspiration to all those who knew her. As the wife of a career military officer, she served at her husband’s side at posts and stations across the nation, repeatedly interrupting her own career as the needs of the service dictated. Her professional life varied from assisting at Ford Motor Company with the interior design of the original Ford Mustang in the early 1960s, to military Officer’s Club management in the early 1970s, to database administrator with cutting edge technical companies in the latter 70s, to medical records management in the 1980s. Her final position, with the Decatur Public Library, was cut short when multiple sclerosis finally confined her to a wheel chair in the mid 1990s. As a military wife, she was an active force in supporting the families of deployed service members, an advocate responsible for several changes to formal Army policies to improve the lot of those who also served our country while waiting at home for their service member to return. Sharon originally attended Michigan State University and continued her studies at the University of Texas (El Paso) and at other institutions as the vagaries of military service permitted. Her great talent of painting was a joy to those close to her. A gifted chef and hostess, she delighted in entertaining in her home, up to the point that her illness no longer permitted.Sharon is survived by her husband of 48 years, David Johnston; the children of her first marriage, daughters Tarri and Carri Thurman of Homer, Alaska; daughter Parri, of Battle Creek, Michigan; son Stewart, of Detroit; and by her son William V. Johnston and beloved daughter-in-law Megan, of Houston, Texas; by her treasured granddaughter Aurora Johnston, of Urbana, Illinois; by her sister Tani Stewart, of San Diego and Seattle; and by numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren scattered across the nation, all of whose lives she touched in a special way, with her example of loving and selfless courage in the face of prolonged pain, and of patient acceptance of talent suppressed too soon.Condolences and memories may be shared with the family in care of Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Homes at www.brintlingerandearl.com. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Sharon’s life may do so by making a donation in her name to St. James and St. Patrick Parish, in Decatur, or to St. Jude Childrens’ Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.