David H. Johnston ’61
David died at 61 of cancer on July 6, 2000. He entered Princeton from the Ambler [Pa.] Joint School and received an AB in economics. He later earned an EdM in counseling and took doctoral studies at Penn.
At Princeton, he was pres. of the Savoyards and was a member of the NROTC and Court Club. His closest friends in the class were Frank Towne, Jay Salley, Brice Cox, and the late Mike Madden.
Following service in the Navy, he spent his early career in education as a teacher, guidance counselor, and administrator. In 1981, he became a training consultant for Achieve Global, formerly Xerox Learning Systems, of Wayne, Pa., remaining there until his death.
David had a particularly strong interest in traveling. He traveled around the world in 1968 and visited all but two US states. Two weeks before his death, he visited England for a family reunion.
David never married but had many cousins and friends who will miss him. We join them in their grief.
The Class of 1961
Paw in print
December 2025
Judge Michael Park ’98; shifts in DEI initiatives; a night at the new art museum.
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Derek Burrin
5 Years AgoDavid’s Final Trip to England
My wife is the niece of a long term pen friend of David.
Personally, my first meeting with David was when he came to our wedding in England in 1989, although he had visited some years before.
In 1996 David flew from Dallas to New York just to surprise my wife on her 30th birthday. We took the oldest cab we could find and went down to the World Trade Centre, had something to eat on the top floor, before he flew back to Dallas!
With total respect, we find it hard to even think about his last trip. David, unknown to us was seriously unwell, but travelled again to England in order that he could meet our two sons before he passed. Nobody can imagine the feelings we have for a man that does that.