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Paul Johnston
September 15, 1931 - March 8, 2016
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<div itemprop="description">PAUL ALLAN RUSSELL JOHNSTON (1931-2016) <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />A life dedicated &ldquo;To Protect and To Serve&rdquo; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />In the last hour of March 8th Paul Johnston, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Paul was predeceased by his parents Thomas and Millicent, his siblings Jim, Ted and Rose, his parents-in-law Gilbert (Gambo) and Irene Robinson, brother-in-law Duke, sisters-in-law Virginia and Jen. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />He is survived and will be sadly missed by his wife Joan and five children John (Alrene), Tom (Brenda), Melodie (Marty), Ted (Pat), Steve (Jacquie) and daughter-in-law Trish. His awesome grandchildren Sean, Kyla, Paul, Tommy, Dustin, Melanie, Martin, Jason, Brandy, Aaron, Arlen, Julia, Amie, Scott, Jered and their spouses/partners, his wonderful great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. He will be fondly remembered by his close nephew Bob (Brenda) Check, his sister Celia Check, brother Robert Johnston, brother-in-law Rick Robinson (Loretta), his sisters-in-law Shirl Robinson and Pat Johnston, Uncle Don and Lydia Robinson, dear friends Mel Myers, Joe Gallagher, Clive Derham, Donnie Rutledge, Jake MacDonald, Gord Sinclair, and special neighbors Maurice, Diane and their children. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Paul was born in St. James and was the youngest of six children. He met his wife Joan (Tiny) at the tender age of 15 when they became sweethearts and have shared life&rsquo;s journey ever since. He was a very strong-willed young man, determined to earn a living on his own terms. He proudly told the story of celebrating his sixteenth birthday hundreds of feet under the ground as a hard-rock miner in Sudbury, Ontario where he labored and lived from 1948-1953. Paul and Joan raised their family in East Kildonan with both discipline and humor, always instilling life&rsquo;s important values. Paul had a distinguished career with the Winnipeg Police Service. He served as a dedicated and exceptional member of the force from 1954-1991. Over the course of 37 years, Paul moved through the ranks as Constable, Detective, Detective Sergeant, Sergeant of Detectives (Crime Division), Staff Inspector of Juvenile Division, Staff Inspector of Major Crime, Executive Assistant to the Chief, Superintendent of Personnel and Training, Superintendent District 6, retiring as the Deputy Chief of Police. One of his proudest moment in 1984 was being voted by his peers as their first choice to be the next Chief of Police. While in court, Paul was well respected by many city and provincial judges and lawyers for his diligence and exceptional police work. He shared his expert advice with law enforcement departments nationally and internationally. Other notable highlights in his career included involvement in the creation of the Police and Pal program, being instrumental in creating the James Toal Award of Excellence that honors exemplary young police officers, serving as President of the Winnipeg Police Senior Officer&rsquo;s Association, and serving on many job and community related boards and committees. Post-retirement for Paul was not laid back. He continued his public service as a Commissioner of Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Board for ten years until 2015. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />In his lifetime Paul was an avid learner, a Good Samaritan and community activist. His presence always commanded attention and respect. He was a licensed pilot for small aircraft, had a passion for anything automotive and mechanical, enjoyed gardening, respect for nature and an unconditional love of animals. He always said, &ldquo;I never met a dog I didn&rsquo;t like.&rdquo; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Heartfelt thanks to the staff at Victoria Hospital for their enduring patience, compassionate care and professionalism. No formal service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite charity. <br /> <br /></div>