GRAHAM M. JOHNSTON

1931-2019

Graham M. Johnston, 88, passed away on Saturday,

July 27, 2019, at home after a four month hospital stay due to complications from pneumonia. He was born May

15, 1931 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. His father, who managed a swimming pool, taught him to swim before the age of two. As a youth, he attended the Afrikaans all-boys school, Grey College. Completely comfortable in the water, Graham achieved national swimming success during his high school and college years and throughout the rest of his life. He was both South African National Junior Diving Champion and South African Junior Swimming Champion for 3 consecutive years 1946 – 48, and South African National Senior Swimming Champion 1949-51. He won 2 gold and 2 silver medals in each of the 1950 and 1954 Commonwealth Games held in New Zealand and Canada, and represented South Africa in the Summer Olympics of 1952 held in Helsinki, Finland.

After his Olympic performance, Graham was invited to be one of the first South African athletes to swim at an American University. He was awarded a full swimming scholarship to the University of Oklahoma where he was named an NCAA All-American for three years. Also in 1952, while a freshman, he met his future wife, Janis Kathryn Thompson, who was also a student at OU. They married in 1955.

Graham retired from swimming in 1956, and after a brief residence in South Africa, he and Janis moved to Houston in 1962 where they raised their five children. He worked for E. L. Lester & Co. in heavy construction materials sales and later for Waukesha-Pearce, industrial equipment supplier. He was a member of the Houston Contractors Association.

After being away from competitive swimming for 16 years, from 1956-1972, Graham returned to the sport at the age of 41 when the U. S. Masters swimming program was launched for older swimmers. He began training and competing at the Dads Club of Houston, and in 1973 swam in his first Masters National Championship in Santa Monica, CA. This success was followed over the next 46 years by national championships, national records, world records and world championships too numerous to recount.

Graham was inducted into The International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1998, the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in 2003, the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2009, the National Senior Games Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Huntsman World Senior Games Hall of Fame in 2012. During the period while swimming in the 65-69 age bracket, he held every national record at every freestyle distance from 100 yards in the pool to the 10k open water swim. Over his career, he competed in eight FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) Masters World Championships and won Gold 33 times. In 2017, he held 105 FINA Masters World Records, the most of any male in the world.

Graham also loved open water swimming. He won the Waikiki Rough Water Swim eight years in a row, was the oldest and fastest of all age groups to complete the Robben Island to Capetown, South Africa swim, enjoyed the Lanai to Maui Channel relay, the Catalina Island relay, the San Francisco to Alcatraz swim and at age 74 became the oldest man to swim the Straits of Gibraltar. Graham had a passion for swimming, anywhere, anytime!!

Graham was predeceased by his parents, Joseph Alexander Johnston and Doris Avis Broemfield, and brother, Donald, all of South Africa. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Janis, and by his 5 children, daughter Jenny Lord and husband Rich of Sugar Land, TX, son Kevin Johnston of Richmond, TX, daughter Linda Fox and husband Mike of Bellaire,

TX, son Bruce Johnston of Maui, Hawaii, and daughter Shelly King and husband Bryan of Rockwall, TX. He is also survived by his 9 grandchildren, Kathryn Lord, Cameron Fox and wife Leah, Blake Fox, Justin Fox, Tanner Fox, Sophia Johnston, Beau Johnston, Chelsea King, and Scott King. He leaves behind his brother-in-law, Arlen Thompson and wife Linda and nieces and nephews Cynthia Rebeck, Arlene Brantley, Ginger Fish, JoAnne Johnston, Raymond Johnston and Trevor Johnston.

Graham and Janis were members of Bellaire United Methodist Church and were active members of the Seekers Class. They built their dream home in the Braes Acres community in southwest Houston and lived there for 53 years. They loved their neighbors and were involved in the Braes Acres Community Club. He enjoyed doing yard work, growing bluebonnets, sunsets, watching lightning storms, Bluebell ice cream, Dr. Pepper, raising Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, traveling and spending time with family.

He will be greatly missed by his South African friends with whom he stayed in contact over many years. Special thanks to his other swimming friends who have been so kind to him during his lifetime and were so supportive during his recent hospital stay. The family also wishes to thank the medical staffs of Methodist Hospital Sugar Land, Kindred Hospital Sugar Land, Brookdale Galleria, Houston Hospice, and Family Tree In-Home Care.

A celebration of Graham’s life will be held on Sunday, September 1 at 1 PM at the Dads Club, 1006 Voss Road – off I-10 in Houston. This will be a pool side event at which casual summer attire is encouraged and swim suit if you wish to swim laps in memory of Graham. In 1997, Graham was a member of the Aquatic Committee when Houston was vying to host the summer Olympics. The committee had grand plans for a competitive pool, but when Houston lost the Olympic bid, the Aquatic Center never came to fruition. Graham never lost his dream of bringing an Aquatic Center to Houston and encouraged a group of swimmers and coaches to form a committee and revive the drive to get Houston the public competitive pool this great city deserves. With Graham’s motivation in the fall of 2018, a non-profit organization called Bayou City Aquatic Center was formed and the fundraising for the center began. In lieu of flowers, donations in Graham’s honor can be made by check to the Bayou City Aquatic Center, 5831 Picasso Place, Houston, TX 77096 or by credit/debit card by visiting their website at bayoucityaquaticcenter. org.