WELCH BEAMAN JOHNSTON

Welch Beaman Johnston of Bluefield, VA passed away peacefully in his sleep on Nov. 16, 2021. Born in Volney, VA in 1933 to Robert and Olga Johnston, he was a 1950 graduate of Princeton (WV) High, where he played football, basketball and baseball. Beaman served in the USAF, attended Concord College, and went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Construction Engineering from Bluefield State College. He worked in the private engineering sector and as an instructor at Eastern Shore Community College and Tazewell County Career & Technical Center. He was an active member of Virginia Avenue United Methodist Church for 55 years. His passions were his children, grandchild, geology, and Graham G-Men and Virginia Tech football.

He was preceded in death by his wife Thelma Johnston, stepson Marty Campanello, seven sisters and a brother. He's survived by his daughters Carla Ann Keene (Cedar Bluff, VA) and Marilyn Black (Tooele, UT), his sons Jack Johnston (Wytheville, VA), Scott Johnston (Bluefield, VA), and Brian Johnston (Longmont, CO), and granddaughter Caroline Keene (Cedar Bluff, VA).

Services will be held at Dudley Memorial Mortuary, 729 Virginia Avenue in Bluefield, VA on Sunday, November 21 with visitation at 2pm and the service at 3pm.