BERRYVILLE—Joseph Shackford Johnston Jr. of Berryville passed from this life on Saturday, November 14, after a brave fight against bile duct cancer.
He was born in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1947, to Joseph Shackford and Edna Cralle Sanders Johnston. As the son of a Methodist minister, his childhood was spent in Arlington, Richmond and Norfolk, with the holidays and summer months always included long stays at the White Stone home of George and Lillian Sanders, his grandparents.
Joe earned his bachelor’s from Randolph-Macon College and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, both in English literature. His MBA was from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. But those were just the formal markers of his education. He was also an avid student of trees, birds, geology, wildflowers and clouds, and had great interest in the lives of those around him.
During the last few years, he was writing a novel.
His sense of fun and his wit were a delight to his family and his large circle of friends, many current friendships dating back to his youth.
His career was spent in higher education as a faculty member, a college staff member, an association executive and a search consultant.
Joe is survived by his devoted wife, Susan Whealler Johnston; his sons, Andrew Shackford (Trisha) and Stephen Sanders (Christina) and their daughters, Lilly and Clara, and Cora and Vivi, all of Annapolis, Md.
Also surviving are his sisters, Anne J. Owen of Kilmarnock and Ginger J. Philbrick (Jim) of White Stone. His nieces and nephews are LeeAnne Washington of White Stone, Edna Whay (Scotty) of Lancaster, Amanda Washington of Kilmarnock, Jennifer Acey of Mount Laurel, N.J., James Philbrick III of Hatboro, Pa., and Michael Philbrick of Port Jefferson, L.I. (New York).
A private family service was held on November 21 at the family home in White Stone. A celebration of life will be held at Christ Church in Millwood, when allowed.
Joe has left the places he lived and people he loved enriched because he was there.
