Obituary for Lorne Robert Johnston
Lorne Robert Johnston
On September 20, 2021, the world lost a sweet, loving soul when Lorne Robert Johnston peacefully passed away. Lorne was born on November 3, 1955 and was diagnosed with Down Syndrome shortly thereafter. His parents, Martin and Lucille, as well as his three siblings included him in every aspect of their lives and were very proud of his accomplishments.
Lorne attended school in Arborg and graduated in 1974. He was one of the first clients to attend Riverdale Place Workshop, a name that he chose for the facility. He attended the Workshop for 45 years and loved seeing his friends and the wonderful staff every day.
Lorne enjoyed sports. He was a member of the Manitoba Special Olympics. He participated in the Canadian Special Olympics in 1974 and won many medals. He also loved to watch WWE wrestling with his foster brothers and attended many live events with family and friends.
Lorne moved into Riverdale Place Homes in 1979. He was fairly independent and lived his life with his foster brothers and the staff, whom he loved dearly.
The center of Lorne’s life was his family. He always referred to himself as the favourite uncle and he certainly was all of that! He was the life of the party at family gatherings. It was like Lorne to poke fun at his brothers and tease them until he got a rise out of them and then he would laugh.
Lorne was a great fan of Elvis Presley and loved music. In his younger years, he played many instruments including his very own drum set. It was not uncommon to hear Mom yelling at him to shut the door. He was a rock star when he played up in his room!
Lorne was never someone who looked at life and said, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do certain things?” He accepted his life wholeheartedly and was very happy and content. When asked, “How are you today?” Lorne would jokingly reply, “Short of money!”
Lorne had a strong faith and enjoyed attending many churches in Arborg.
Lorne is survived by his two brothers, Marvin (Vicki) and Ron (Cheryl) and his sister, Maureen (Wade) Sigurgeirson, aunts Alyce Sigurdson and Beatrice Johnston, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He is predeceased by his parents, Martin and Lucille.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to his many caregivers over the years.
A private funeral will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Riverdale Workshop, Box 609, Arborg, MB, R0C 0A0 or Riverdale Place Homes, Box 968, Arborg, MB, R0C 0A0.
On September 20, 2021, the world lost a sweet, loving soul when Lorne Robert Johnston peacefully passed away. Lorne was born on November 3, 1955 and was diagnosed with Down Syndrome shortly thereafter. His parents, Martin and Lucille, as well as his three siblings included him in every aspect of their lives and were very proud of his accomplishments.
Lorne attended school in Arborg and graduated in 1974. He was one of the first clients to attend Riverdale Place Workshop, a name that he chose for the facility. He attended the Workshop for 45 years and loved seeing his friends and the wonderful staff every day.
Lorne enjoyed sports. He was a member of the Manitoba Special Olympics. He participated in the Canadian Special Olympics in 1974 and won many medals. He also loved to watch WWE wrestling with his foster brothers and attended many live events with family and friends.
Lorne moved into Riverdale Place Homes in 1979. He was fairly independent and lived his life with his foster brothers and the staff, whom he loved dearly.
The center of Lorne’s life was his family. He always referred to himself as the favourite uncle and he certainly was all of that! He was the life of the party at family gatherings. It was like Lorne to poke fun at his brothers and tease them until he got a rise out of them and then he would laugh.
Lorne was a great fan of Elvis Presley and loved music. In his younger years, he played many instruments including his very own drum set. It was not uncommon to hear Mom yelling at him to shut the door. He was a rock star when he played up in his room!
Lorne was never someone who looked at life and said, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do certain things?” He accepted his life wholeheartedly and was very happy and content. When asked, “How are you today?” Lorne would jokingly reply, “Short of money!”
Lorne had a strong faith and enjoyed attending many churches in Arborg.
Lorne is survived by his two brothers, Marvin (Vicki) and Ron (Cheryl) and his sister, Maureen (Wade) Sigurgeirson, aunts Alyce Sigurdson and Beatrice Johnston, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He is predeceased by his parents, Martin and Lucille.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to his many caregivers over the years.
A private funeral will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Riverdale Workshop, Box 609, Arborg, MB, R0C 0A0 or Riverdale Place Homes, Box 968, Arborg, MB, R0C 0A0.