Obituary for James Carroll Johnston
James ‘Jimmy” Johnston, 72, of Gastonia passed away on Saturday, March 26th at Caromont Regional Medical Center. Born in Gaston County on May 7th, 1949, he was the son to James ‘Hotdog’ and Estelle Johnston. Jimmy grew up playing in the woods, hunting, and fishing, and he had collected over a hundred guns by the time he was around 6 or 7 years old. His favorite Aunt Evie and his Uncle Dickie Doo were his biggest supporters in his gun collecting and he frequently talked each of them into adding to his collection. Jimmy loved to travel with Kure Beach being one of his favorite destinations. He also loved taking a daytrip to the North Carolina mountains for sightseeing and stopping in to spend a few hours at Harrah’s Casino. Jimmy was an avid WWE and Nascar fan and he loved old western movies. He enjoyed decorating for Christmas and many times he gave Clark Griswold a run for his money. Jimmy was also a huge fan of Elvis and collected memorabilia over the years.
In addition to his parents, Jimmy is preceded in death by his beloved son James Rodney Johnston.
Jimmy is survived by his wife of 30 years, Barbara “Bobbi” Johnston and 2 daughters, Kimberly Caldwell (Reggie) and Sharon Morales (Dave Wilkins), and two stepdaughters, Brooke Free (Sabin) and Kellianne Shuler (Billy), sister Starr and husband James ‘Spud’ Stepp. He also leaves behind 13 grandkids, Brittany, Matthew, Kierstian, Luscian, Victoria, Kennedy, Kyle, Paxton, Sammy, Amelia, Mia, Mollie, and Emmie, 6 great grandchildren, and his beloved canine, Roxie.
“You can shed tears because they are gone, or you can smile because they lived. You can close your eyes and pray they will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that they left for you. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see them, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember only that they are gone, or you can cherish their memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind and feel empty or you can do what they would want. Smile, open your heart, love…and go on.”
The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.
In addition to his parents, Jimmy is preceded in death by his beloved son James Rodney Johnston.
Jimmy is survived by his wife of 30 years, Barbara “Bobbi” Johnston and 2 daughters, Kimberly Caldwell (Reggie) and Sharon Morales (Dave Wilkins), and two stepdaughters, Brooke Free (Sabin) and Kellianne Shuler (Billy), sister Starr and husband James ‘Spud’ Stepp. He also leaves behind 13 grandkids, Brittany, Matthew, Kierstian, Luscian, Victoria, Kennedy, Kyle, Paxton, Sammy, Amelia, Mia, Mollie, and Emmie, 6 great grandchildren, and his beloved canine, Roxie.
“You can shed tears because they are gone, or you can smile because they lived. You can close your eyes and pray they will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that they left for you. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see them, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember only that they are gone, or you can cherish their memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind and feel empty or you can do what they would want. Smile, open your heart, love…and go on.”
The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.