Nancy Johnston, 87, died peacefully on Thursday, January 24, 2019.  Visitation will take place at Trinity Episcopal Church, 410 N. Pine Street, Florence, AL 35630, on Saturday, February 2, at 12:00 PM, followed by the funeral eucharist at 2:00 PM with the Rev. Andy Keyse officiating and The Rev. Tom Osborne assisting. Interment of ashes in the columbarium will follow with the Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston officiating.

Nancy is survived by her children Bruce Johnston (Kathy Golden), of Florence, AL, Shannon Johnston (Ellen), of Richmond, VA, and Marjorie Johnston, of Tuscaloosa, AL; granddaughter, Belle Johnston, of Florence, AL; nephew, Paul Johnston, and his wife, Ann, of Columbus, GA, and their children Alex Johnston (wife, Evelyn, and son, Owen,) of Atlanta, GA, and Mary Etchison (husband, Chad, and children, Mick, Keir, Elle, and Cher,) of Columbus, GA; nephews, George Johnston, of Hickory, NC, and Henry Johnston, of Greenville, NC; nieces, Gayle Johnston Koffer (Dennis), of Smithfield, NC, and Jenny Johnston, of Jeffersonville, IN; cousins, Tom Ireland, of Hiram, GA, and Denise Ireland-Miller, of Weston, FL. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert S. Johnston, Jr., her parents Hubert and Margaret Ireland Kopp, of Florence, AL, and her great-niece, Karen Johnston, of Columbus, GA.

Nancy was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, on February 16, 1931, and grew up in southern Indiana and Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.  Her father was a telegrapher for Southern Railroad and her mother taught English. Having shown an aptitude for the piano at an early age, Nancy played in church and accompanied her mother and other singers in the area throughout her childhood.  She earned a scholarship to study piano performance at Georgetown College (Kentucky), where she received her Bachelor's Degree and met her future husband, Dr. Albert S. Johnston, Jr., an English professor at the school. In 1954, Dr. Johnston accepted a position on the faculty at Florence State Teachers College, now UNA, and the two were married at Trinity Episcopal Church in Florence that same year.

A serious classical pianist, Nancy continued as a recitalist and accompanist in the Quad Cities for many years.  She collaborated with friends and colleagues as pianist for dozens of musical theater productions, and served two terms on the managing artistic board for the Zodiac Theater.  She was a founding member of the Shoals Chamber Singers, and enjoyed both singing with and accompanying the group locally and on tours.  But she is best known for her career of nearly 60 years as a piano teacher. Countless numbers of Florence area residents took piano lessons with Nancy Johnston.  She had a specialized skill for developing beginning students and teaching children to read music.

The Johnston household was filled with laughter, and was often the venue for parties celebrating visiting musicians who performed on the Muscle Shoals Concert Series, as Nancy was a long-time member of the board of directors.  Friends were uneasy when the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity moved in next door to the Johnston household, but Nancy thoroughly enjoyed having the Fijis as neighbors, and the UNA chapter loved her, too, naming her an "Honorary FIJI Sweetheart" on her 80 ^th birthday.  An avid reader and grammarian, Nancy became a Certified Adult Literacy Tutor for Northwest Alabama Reading Aides, and took great joy in teaching adults to read. She was a lifelong supporter of The Humane Society, and financed the spay/neuter procedure for many homeless dogs and cats, adopting quite a few, herself, over the years.  She was a dedicated member of the choir at Trinity Episcopal Church, and especially enjoyed serving on the church's Care Committee.  She made it her life's work to regularly visit shut-ins and the elderly, until she herself became a resident of an assisted living facility she had often included on her route, now named The Renaissance of Florence.

Nancy's spirit was positive and strong.  She experienced a devastating house fire in 1970, became a widow in 1979 while still in her 40s, and successfully fought breast cancer in 2007, yet her faith, family, and steadfast friends sustained her.  Pulmonary disease and other health complications limited her activity in recent years, but she enjoyed keeping in touch with friends from all over the world through emails, and with her remarkable memory for birthdays and the dates of significant events in the lives of those she loved.  Known for her turn of phrase, she frequently wrote birthday odes and limericks, or called special pals to play "Happy Birthday" for them on the piano.  Nancy took her friendships very seriously and was a friend to many during her 87+ years.  She treasured her longtime and loyal friends Elizabeth Burts, Frank and Myra Harscheid, Jerry Shea, Jean Johnson, Anne Smith, and Tom Osborne of Florence, AL, Carol Todd, of Pendleton, SC, and Marguerite Wray, of Athens, AL, who remained in constant contact during her last years.

The family wishes to thank Nancy's physicians, Dr. Robert J. Webb and the Hospice of the Shoals team, Dr. John Bartmess, Dr. William Heaton, Dr. Will Burhans; her doctors at UAB Hospital, Dr. George Solomon and Dr. Erin Contratto, plus the staff at The Renaissance of Florence.  Nursing supervisor, Ms. Cassandra Allen and her staff provided loving care and became extended family; it was important to Nancy that they be credited for extending the length and quality of her life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to the Trinity Episcopal Church Care Committee or Shoals PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving): http://shoalspaws.com/ .

You are invited to leave condolences in this online guestbook.