Reed Johnston

Reed E. Johnston, 91, of Waco, peacefully passed away Sunday, April 30, 2023. Celebration of his life will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 12 at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Dr., Waco with Pastor Jeff Hatton officiating.

Reed E. Johnston was born January 6,1932 in Montgomery, Alabama to R.E. and Betty Jane Johnston. Reed moved to Washington DC when he was one year old and spent his childhood there up until he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1950. He was transferred to James Connally Air Force Base in Waco, Texas where he rose to the rank of staff sergeant very quickly while assigned to the 3565th Air Police Squadron. While stationed here, he met his one and only love Betty Jean Shumate. After a short courtship, they married on April 30, 1951.

From this union, they were blessed with five sons and sixty-two years of wedded bliss until the day his beloved wife Betty passed away in 2013. In 1963, Reed began a career with the Waco Fire Department where he was employed for nearly thirty years until his retirement in 1993. Reed received Christ as his personal savior in his early twenties and it was his wife’s proudest moment. Reed was a student of the bible, and his greatest desire and prayer was for each of his sons and their families to enter into a relationship with Christ. He was a deacon at his church and loved teaching the bible to others. He served many people into his late eighties.

Reed is survived by his five sons and their families: Reed and Cindy, Charles and Mary, John and Sherre, Dana and Erica, Clinton and Tiffany; and fourteen grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

Reed will be greatly missed, but it brings his family great comfort to know that he was reunited with the love of his life Betty on their wedding anniversary of April 30, 2023. God speed and we will see you soon. We love you!