Donaldson Murray Johnstone

Donaldson Murray Johnstone was born in North Hollywood in 1925 when Lankershim Blvd was still a dirt road. He went through public school there until 1942 when he joined the Navy and served four WWII years on an aircraft carrier in the freezing North Atlantic. He loved sharing stories of how his warship successfully sunk eight enemy submarines before joining the DDay Naval Task Force at Normandy Beach in 1944.

While on active duty in New Jersey after the war, he met his precious Shirley. They were quickly married and, when he was discharged, they moved back to southern California, to the San Fernando Valley. They lived there happily for 64 years, during which time their only child Sherry was born.

Don spent most of his working years in Aerospace with the Bendix and Lockheed Corporations. He was a very active 32nd Degree Master Mason in the Magnolia Park Lodge (twice serving as Master) as well as supporting various other charities.

When his Shirley passed in 2011, Don reluctantly left his home of 55 years and moved to La Quinta to be near his daughter Sherry who was then the Assistant Superintendent of Personnel at Desert Sands Unified School District. He also lavished much of his time and love on his grandsons Scott and David.

After Shirley's death, at age 87 he was lonely and lost without his Shirley until one afternoon he happened into Arnold Palmers Restaurant in La Quinta, where he immediately made friends that day and every day since. Over the next four years he became so popular at Palmer's that "Dancing Don" (as he was often called), became a de facto goodwill ambassador for the restaurant. He made countless friends there who loved to hear his stories about WWII and the Navy, and then charmed and danced with dozens of dance-starved ladies. He would shake his head and say "Women like to dance and husbands don't. That's where I come in!"

Don passed quietly in his sleep of natural causes on October 21. Daughter Sherry, grandsons David and Scott and Son-in-law Garry are part of a long, long list of people who loved him and will miss him.

Every day.