Dick Johnston dies; covered Sabres for The News
Richard W. "Dick" Johnston, the award winning sports writer and columnist for The Buffalo Evening News, died Thursday night in Boston, Mass. He was 89.
The Buffalo-born writer and Lafayette High School graduate was best known for his coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, which he began with the team's founding. He received the Elmer Ferguson Award, given by the Hockey Hall of Fame to the top print journalist, in 1986. He was inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame in 2004.
Johnston wrote for The News on temporary assignments while a student at Cornell University in 1939, from which he was graduated in 1941. He joined the U.S. Army as a private in June 1942 and served until February 1946, when he was discharged as a captain.
The News hired him after his discharge, and he worked at the paper until 1984, retiring at the age of 65.
"He loved what he did but felt he retired at the right time, while he was still on top of his game," his son Richard told The News by phone.
After his retirement, Johnston moved to Florida and spent 21 years there. Three years ago he moved to Boston to be near Richard. In October, he and his wife, Virginia, celebrated their 60th anniversary.
He is also survived by a second son, Peter, of East Bernard, Texas.
A ceremony is planned for noon Sunday at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass.
