Phillip A. Johnston

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Phillip A Johnston, age 88, of Silver Spring, passed away on Wednesday (Aug. 20, 2025) at Shady Grove Medical Center, with family by his side. He was a devoted husband to Mary Ann Johnston and loving father to seven children.

Phillip was born Oct. 9, 1936, in Wellsville, N.Y., to Hollis and Ella Johnston.

He and his older brother Harold helped his parents run a small hotel and bar there. He attended Olean High School where he met his future wife, Mary Ann Dwaileebe.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy upon graduation. After four years of service, Phillip returned to Olean to attend St. Bonaventure University. He graduated with a degree in physics and married Mary Ann in 1960.

Phillip began his career as a physicist for NASA and then General Electric. He grew into the role of manufacturing manager at Corning and then Bendix before becoming a vice president of manufacturing in telecommunications. He helped grow Gaithersburg Maryland company TTC from a startup into a publicly traded company. He eventually changed roles to become a U.S. patent examiner in Washington D.C. for the last 20 years of his career.

Phil was always the office comedian and a devoted employee. He was loved by his co-workers and appeared in the Washington Post’s “Movers and Shakers” section. He enjoyed golf, invention projects, history, family slide shows and writing. He played pick-up basketball well into his 60s and was lovingly known as “Pops” by all the younger players at the Apple Ridge basketball court.

He and Mary Ann were actively involved at their church St. John Neumann in Gaithersburg. After retirement, Phil enjoyed writing and self-publishing poetry books and short stories.

He is survived by his seven children, David (Melissa), Paul (Laura), Phillip Jr. (Kim), Elizabeth, Andrea (Bob), Mark (James) and Daniel (Josie); along with four grandchildren; and four nieces.

Phillip was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann Johnston; his parents, Hollis Johnston and Ella Kliemann Turner; and his brother, Harold R Johnston.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home at 646 E. State St., Olean N.Y. Burial will follow at St. Bonaventure Cemetery.

Online condolences may be made at www.letromcintoshspinkfuneralhome.com.