Mark Evan Johnston, Ph.D
Mark Evan Johnston, 62, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by the love of his family members on Tuesday, November 27, 2007. He leaves behind his loving wife, Betsy Delaney, and four children: Elizabeth K. Johnston (Emanuel Hoskie), Ingrid K. Johnston-Robledo (Richard Robledo), Emily R. Geogerian (Daniel), and Adam M. Johnston (Rachel Caplan), and three step-children: Christian M. Shedd (Melanie), Steven A. Mach and Michelle E. Mach. Mark was a loving grandfather to Jordan Sebastian, Sophia, Roman, and Meren Robledo, Brianna, Noah, Simone, Ahni, and Abel Geogerian. Mark was born on August 22, 1945 in Dayton, OH to the late Hal and Ruth Johnston. He is survived by brothers Lynn Johnston (Jane), Michael Johnston (Lucy), and sisters Diane Collins (John) and Mary Borchers (Karl). Dr. Johnston graduated from Miami University (BA), Clark University (MA), and Yale University (Ph.D) with degrees in English. His life-long love of literature and teaching inspired thousands of students during his 30 years as a professor of English at Quinnipiac University, where he was twice honored with the 'Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.' Mark was a passionate writer with over 250 poems published, including a collection entitled 'Out Into the End of Time.' He also wrote many scholarly articles and edited three anthologies. Mark extended his love of learning to the community as he led frequent library discussions in Wallingford, Chester, Orange, and Deep River. In addition to teaching, Mark loved spending time with his family and friends who all admire his courage and strength, his generous spirit, and colorful sense of humor. Mark will always be remembered as a kind and loving man. A Memorial Service will be held at BEECHER & BENNETT, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden, on Saturday, December 1st at 2 p.m. Friends may visit with the family on Sat. from 12-2 p.m. Memorial contributions in Mark's memory can be sent to the Chester Public Library, 21 West Main Street, Chester, CT 06412. Plans for a Memorial Service to be held at Quinnipiac University will be announced at a future date.
.Friendship is a sheltering tree; Oh the joys that came down shower-like, Of Friendship, Love, and Liberty. (.Youth & Age., S.T. Coleridge) Dear Betsy & Family, We treasure Mark’s impact on our lives & so many happy memories. He is deeply loved & sorely missed. The Russell Family
Adam, Christian, and Johnston Family, We are deeply sorry for your loss. Paul, Monica, and Olivia
Adam, Rachel, Christian, Melanie, Liz, Ingrid and the Johnston Family. We are very sorry for your loss. Mark was a good man, highly intelligent, creative, witty and a wonderful father and stepfather. Our thoughts are with you. Susan Pratt, Mark Millett, Alexis and Adam Millett
all my condolences to old friends. that was a beautiful memorial. he was such an awesome teacher and person. all the best
all my condolences to old friends. that was a beautiful memorial. he was such an awesome teacher and person. all the best
Although I only had Dr. Johnston for one class, he left a long lasting impression on me. As one of the most down to Earth and honest professors out there, his style was uncanny. His honest, humorous, and enthusiastic approach didn’t make one feel like they were sitting in class….They became quickly became part of it. He didn’t talk down to his students, he talked WITH them. His style and talent separated him from his teaching peers. Looking back over five years since graduation from QU, my only regret has been that I did not go to Dublin with his class in 2001. I know that trip would have left a legacy with me. Educators from around the world could learn from his style and excellence. Quinnipiac has suffered a tremendous loss with his passing. Steve Scottsdale, AZ -2002
as an inlaw of marks we were all blessed by his presence in our lives. he showed us love, patience, and tolerance by his words and actions
As I read the memories of .Mark the English Professor,. I am reminded of the many layers of this incredible man. I knew Mark as the .hot dad. of my dear friend, Emily. Mark was a man with an infectious laugh, genuine smile, and intelligent conversation. He was beautiful, inside and out. I am sorry to see you go, Mark. You are well loved, in many ways. My deepest condolences to all of your family.
Dear Betsy, I am so sorry to hear of Mark’s passing. I know it’s been a long time, I recently took Ashley to Quinnipiac to tour the campus and thought of you and Mark. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Sincerely, Colleen Moody
Dear Betsy, I was so sorry to hear of Mark’s passing. I can only imagine how devastating his loss is and will be to you and your family. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Love, Sharon
dear family of mark johnston, i had mark as my english 101 professor 20 years ago at quinnipiac college and i graduated with ingrid and knew liz. i am saddened to hear of his death. he made english fun and will be sorely missed by any student who either knew mark or took one of his exciting classes. his poetry was amazing as was him being a great professor and friend.God bless you Professor Johnston- thank you for being you mike fenster-QC class of 1990
Dear Johnston Family, All of us at the Wallingford Public Library wish to express our condolences. Professor Johnston shared his love of literature with us on many occasions. His humor, passion, and leadership style made his literary discussions a favorite among our patronage. He will be greatly missed. Please accept our deepest sympathy.
Dear Johnston Family, I heard about the passing of Professor Johnston this evening from one of my fellow Q.C. alums. Mark Johnston taught my English 101 class when I was a freshman in 1989. My first impression of him was that he was the coolest professor on campus. But later on, he inspired me to take other literature courses during my time at QC. He also showed great compassion towards me when I experienced a family tragedy during my freshman yr and I will never forget his kind words. So I just wanted to say to his loved ones, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this sad time.
Dear Johnston Family, My heart goes out to you. Ingrid, I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Ginny
Dear Johnston Family, Our prayers are with all of you during this time. May God uphold you in His love and may His strength empower you to walk through this time of grief. To Emily & Dan, we love you both and pray that God’s presence is tangible around you.
Dear Johnston Family; I was Fortunate to have been a student of Mark during my time at Quinnipiac, and was able to know him outside of the academic setting later in my college years when I became friends with Ingrid. I wanted to offer my deepest sympathy to the Johnston Family. Mark was one of two professors/teachers that really made a difference not just academically in my life. He was a fine person who will be missed by all that were lucky enough to have had for a professor or friend. Sincerely, Jim Ennis
Deus Vobiscum, Prof. Mark And who shall say – Whatever disenchantment follows – That we ever forget magic, Or that we can ever betray, On this leaden earth, The apple-tree, the singing, And the gold? Thomas Wolfe A Stone, A Leaf, A Door
Dr. Johnson was my freshman advisor at QC. He suggested taking Intro to Communications – due to my love of the media and because it fit into my schedule. He said he had a feeling that I would .find my place. in that major. Due to his suggestion, I found my major – which I loved – and made some of the greatest friends. I will always be forever grateful for his suggestion – and his patience with an indecisive kid.
Dr. Johnston was my mentor at Quinnipiac in the 90s. He inspired me to love literature and to honor words and their meanings. He taught me to love Shakespeare and shaped the way I teach my own students. I am deeply sorry to hear of his death, and I hope the knowledge that he touches the future through his students, and in turn, our students, is a fitting memorial to a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend.
From Shakespeare’s Sonnet 64 Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate: That Time will come and take my love away. This thought is as a death which cannot choose But weep to have that which it fears to lose. Dear Betsy and the Johnston family, I wish to convey my deepest sympathy for your loss, but find my own words inadequate. I thought that Mark would have appreciated these few lines from the sonnets. I can imagine chatting with him hours about them…
Gone – flitted away, Taken the stars from the night and the sun From the day! Gone, and a cloud in my heart. ~Alfred Tennyson Dearest Betsy, Liz, Emily, Ingrid and Adam We share in your loss and grief with you. Mark is one of these rare people that one encounters once in a life time. He has enriched our lives and his absence here on Earth will never cease to be felt. He will live for ever in our hearts. The Heavens are richer now that he has come through the gates. All our love,
I am deeply sorry for this terrible loss. I hope that your family finds warmth from the happy memories you’ve shared with Dr. Johnston, and from his great legacy. Warm regards,
I am so sorry for your loss. Professor Johnston was a great man as well as a truly excellent professor. He shared his passion for English with everyone and I am certain that he will be greatly missed by every person fotunate enough to have met him.
I extend my deepest apologies and sincerest condolences to Professor Johnston’s family and friends. Professor Johnston was without a doubt the most influential and memorable teacher I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. I will never forget the entire class we discussed what it would be like if we all had tails. Thank you Professor Johnston for everything and for meaning so much to so many people. We will love you always.
I have such happy memories of Mark, going back to the many years I spent as a book rep who was lucky enough to call on him. We even played raquetball on at least one occasion and as I recall, it was alot of fun. Another memory of Mark is how much he treasured his family and how proud he was to talk about everyone. His face would light up with a million watt smile. He was a scholar and a gentle man, in every sense of this overused but appropriate saying. From a source I cannot find, I offer these words which were sent to me years ago: .Do not let your grief be measured by his worth, for then your sorrow has no end.. Sincere condolences to all who loved Mark, Janie P.
I too had the privledge of knowing and experiencing Mark’s humor, intelligence and infectious smile. Above all my husband and I were graced with a personal poem written and read by Mark on our wedding day (which Mark informed us was Shakespear’s birthday!). I will forever remember Mark with the utmost respect. My most sincere sympathy to my dear friend Ingrid, her sisters and brother and Mark’s wife, Betsy.
I was sorry to learn of Mark’s passing and wish to express condolences to all who knew and loved him. As the editor of three of his books, I knew Mark Johnston as a crystal-clear thinker, organized and hard-working writer, and extremely careful craftsman. Mark made his editor look like a genius, but the genius was all his. Mark recited Yeats, Coleridge, Dickinson, Shakespeare, and other immortals from memory, and yet he knew (and introduced us to) many contemporary poets. Mark believed in the value of literature to raise us and delight us. Yet he did not retire as a monastic but labored tirelessly in the vineyard to introduce new generations to the greatest writers in the English language. He will be remembered for intelligence, joy, sensitivity, grace, learnedness and especially clarity and brilliance of his mind and writing. .And you, my father, there on the sad height, Bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray, Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light..
I will forever remember my English classes at Quinnipiac with Mark. I can still hear his voice and laughter in and out of class. I saw Mark several years ago at Barnes and Noble in Farmington where he yelled from one end of the store – is that YOU Katzie?? He will be missed by everyone he touched.
I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the Johnston Family. As an English minor at Quinnpiac, I was fortunate enough to have Mark as a professor for several classes. His influence on me was immense; so much so that I returned to Quinnipiac to become an English teacher. Without Mark as a role model, I don’t know what I would be doing today. Thank you, Mark, for being a great English professor and an even greater influence on my life. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Johnston Family on their loss. Steven Blumenthal, QC ’91 & ’94
I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the Johnston Family. I was lucky enough to be one of the many students profoundly influenced by Professor Johnston. I will always remember him for his kindness, incredible sense of humor, and brilliant passion. Words cannot express Professor Johnston’s impact on me not only as a student of Literature, but also as a student of Education. He will be dearly missed.
I’m a colleague and friend of Ingrid’s, so I knew him as her dad. I had the pleasure of meeting him only once, when I heard him read his poetry, but I heard of him often and always admired their close bond. I’m very thankful that he brought Ingrid into the world.
Ingrid and Liz – I can’t begin to express how saddened I am to hear about your dad. It’s been some years since I had last seen him, but the news broke my heart. Like so very many students, Mark made such an impression on me as a student at QC and young adult experiencing a whole new world away from home. I will never forget my classes with Mark, the many conversations and visits as a student. His classes were incredible, his influence so powerful. Because of him, my love of literature was brought to the surface and has remained strong my whole life. Upon graduating I was fortunate to run into Mark occasionally. We always shared a warm embrace and memorable conversation and I always walked away thinking about how much I loved that guy. I had the pleasure working with both Ingrid and Liz and QC Daycare and my daughter Emily and Mark’s grandson, Jordan, spent some of their toddler days together there. It was great to have another opportunity to see Mark when he came to pick Jordan up now and then. I will never forget Mark and the influence that he had on my life. To this day, I am sharing my experiences in Mark’s classes with others – particularly my own children who are at an age where they truly appreciate the importance of an incredibly talented,sensitive, funny, passionate professor and friend. There are so many occasions when I read something or write something and I remember advice from Mark or funny anecdotes from our classes. Again, my condolences for your loss. Your dad will be deeply missed, yet forever alive in so many hearts. Sharon Montesi
I’ve known .Professor Johnston. since I was 7 years old. He was one of my favorite people among the Quinnipiac Community. Whenever I went to work with my mother, I would always ask her when Professor Johnston was going to stop by the QC Post Office. There are many things about him that stand out in my mind. His kind, calm demeanor, sense of humor and passion for poetry will always stay with me. Though I never had him for a professor during my days as a student at QU, I will always remember Mark Johnston and how he touched so many lives, including mine. Felicity J. Melillo, QU ’03
My deepest condolences go out to Betsy and family. Mark will be sorely missed by the multitude of people whose lives he touched. I’m sure he’s smiling down on us today.
My most vivid memory of Mark is when he would drive a bunch of us kids to/from Peekskill in the 70’s for a visit with our respective parents. I can still see his bare feet working the pedals of his old VW (bug? station wagon?) and the way his hands looked when he shifted the old round gearshift. Long red beard…round wire glasses…sunny summer afternoons…and always an air of warmth and safety. He will always live in those sunny summer moments for me.
Please accept my most sincere condolences. My heart goes out to you in this difficult time. Take solace in knowing that he was able to be home where he wanted to be. Though I did not know him before, I could tell that he was well loved. Nora Rightmer, YNHH
Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. I knew Mark as a student at Quinnipiac in the early 1980s, and I was Mark’s student in an MAT class at Quinnipiac in 1991. He was inspiring, humorous, open-minded, genuine, and so much more. As a high school English teacher over the past 17 years, I can honestly say that Mark’s influence on me in the classroom has endured. I am certain that his joy and love for life will be with you and yours forever.
Prof. Johnston, You made Shakespeare possible for me. I will always be thankful for that. May you rest peacefully. Thank you. Betsy and family, I am very sorry for your loss.
Professor Johnston was my favorite professor at Quinnipiac. He was an excellent teacher and a good person with a great sense of humor. He will be missed.
Professor Johnston was my favorite professor at Quinnipiac. He was my academic advisor and he was my teacher. I’ve been thinking a lot about him since I received the news of his passing. He was special to me. As I look back on my time at Quinnipiac, I realize that he served as a father figure. Because he was a man who exhibited to his students, the utmost patience and caring. He was understanding and helpful as he advised me on what classes to take when I was a clueless freshman. And he was supportive and encouraging when it was time to graduate. He made you feel that you were special. He made you believe that you were intelligent. He gave criticism that was constructive and delivered gently. He left an impression on me. I will never forget him. My deepest sympathies to all those who knew this man. This is a great loss. Though we are all better for having known him.
sorry for your loss, l liked mark the few times l meet him, l thought he was a nice man, sorry mark and pam
To Betsy and Family Our Condolences, Heidi Sward, Dr. Jeanne Jackson and the staff at Geriatric and Adult Psychiatry in Hamden
To Shedd, Adam, Liz, Ingrid & Emily I am very saddened to hear of Mark’s passing. My family and I are very sorry and we all send our condolences. I spent some of the best years of my life in Mark’s house with Shedd as my best friend. Adam and Lizard were always my friends too. Many of us from the neighborhood had a great time playing in front of the house. Lots of great memories. That’s how I’ll remember Mark, throwing the nerf around the front yard, watching Chocolate run around with Adam, having fun. May you have peace in your time of loss.
To the family of Mark Johnston, Ph.D: I am sorry for your loss and my heart goes out to Emily as she is the only one in your family that I really know. I am sure Mark had a wonderful life. May all of you bond stronger as a family and remember Mark in a loving way.
To the Johnston Family I am so sorry for your loss. Mark is the most brilliant man I have ever and will ever meet. As an English Major in QU, I took every one of his classes. With deepest Sympathy, Debbie
To the Johnston family, My sincere sympathies are with you all as you go through this terribly sad time. I was surprised and saddened when I heard about Prof. Johnston’s passing. I knew him as my academic advisor at Quinnipiac and his kindness and exuberant personality led to my taking many of his classes. I will always remember him as the incredibly brilliant, fun and inspiring teacher who encouraged me to take on a second major in English. What I learned from him will be with me forever. He was a great man. Quinnipiac University Class of 2002
To the Johnston Family, Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of Professor Johnston. I was a student in his English 101 class 30 years ago and still remember what a great sense of humor he had. I always looked forward to his class. I hope you find comfort in knowing what a positive influence he was on thousands of students; students like me, who graduated decades ago and still smile when they think of Mark and his class.
To the Johnston Family: Mark will always remain in my memory as one of the warmest, funniest, and most effective teacher and friend I have ever known. He opened up the world of literature to me by asking me to bring a part of myself to whatever I read. He went out of his way to provide tutorials for me to replace classes I could not take because of scheduling, and always had the time to ask about my life outside of academia. I will cherish his memory and miss him always. My heartfelt condolences. Ed Clancy QU Class of 2007
We are so sorry for your loss. He will always have a special place in our hearts. All our love, The Rosenthal & Provitz Families
Words cannot express how much of an influence Professor Johnston had upon my career as a writer and editor. He taught me epic poetry, Greek tragedy, and James Joyce–and, above all else, he taught me how to feel literature on the most visceral of levels. He was always encouraging and did everything under the sun to make his students feel confident in their writing. Like so many others, I attribute so much of who I am as a writer and thinker to his influence. I extend my deepest condolences to his friends and family.
You were a great teacher and a great man. You will be missed.