RALPH CURTIS JOHNSON

Ralph Curtis Johnston of International Falls, Mn. died Sunday, July 30, 2006 at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth, Mn.
Ralph was born on July 24, 1941 to Wellington & Viola (Harpell) at Hough Lake, Savaro Township, Temiskaming District, Ont. He received his elementary and high school education in Engelhart, Ont.
Prior to his move to Fort Frances, he worked in the Gold Mines & Algoma Steel in the Kirkland Lake area.
Ralph started his 40 year career with Boise Cascade in July, 1960 in Fort Frances with O-M Pulp & Paper Co. He worked in Fort Frances until 1977.  From there he was transferred to the International Falls mill and in 1982 transferred to Rumford, Maine Mill. In 1991, he returned to International Falls where he worked in the capacity of Pulp/Utilities Production Manager until he retired in August, 2000.
Ralph was dedicated, loyal, and much respected by his co-workers. He had many fond memories of his achievements, one being the Co-Gen design for the Rumford Mill. He worked in Washington D.C. with the Bechtel Engineering Group on the design for two years then returned to Rumford to see the start of Construction and Fire-up.
Among his other achievements, Ralph had class “A” boiler engineers certifications for Ontario, Minnesota, and Maine.
He was preceded in death by his father Wellington Johnston, brother Terry and sister-in-law Barbara Johnston.
Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 12 years Sylvia (Hnatiuk) Johnston; son Scott (Lisa) Johnston and granddaughter Catherine Johnston of Manchester, New Hampshire; daughter Dawn (Dr. Walter) Keller and granddaughter Katarina and grandsons Brandon and Alex Keller of Falmouth, Maine; his mother Viola Johnston of Hough Lake, Ont.; sisters Wilda (Robert) Rodgers of Hough Lake, Ont. and Linda (Hans) Griesheimer of Waterloo Ont.; along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Ralph loved his family, his job, and especially his cabin on Bad Vermillion Lake at Mine Center, Ontario. Autumn was so special because the cabin would become “Deer Camp” and would be full of friends and the sound of Banjo’s, guitars and fiddles.
Ralph will be sadly missed.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006 at the Green-Larsen Memorial Chapel in International Falls at 2 p.m.
Interment will be in the Riverview Cemetery in Fort Frances, Ont.
Memorials would be preferred to the Koochiching Hospice or Falls Food Shelf. Condolences may be left with www.greenlarsen.com