Salutation to Tim: Titionka, Otter and I will miss you so. We loved having you as our friend and neighbor.
It was my true honor to know Tim Johnston.
That happened by shear good fortune.
Tim returned to Iowa City in 2016 on sabbatical from academia. His goal was to finish his second novel, The Current. He rented the house next door. I was his new neighbor.
Tim became so enamored with that time of his life that he resigned from academia, bought the house and set up permanent shop with his dog Pippa.
Tim’s life has been taken from us all way to early. Still, he touched so many….family, friends, colleagues, neighbors….in a such a positive way.
We all remember Tim fondly. His peaceful kindness, his artful skill and dedication to writing, his competence as a carpenter, his willingness to help and his being simply the best neighbor.
And the people he introduced us to.
Mother Judy, always loving and doting, stopping by every Saturday with banana bread from the farmers market.
Brother Tyler, possibly Tim’s best friend, his 5AM-fast-play golf comrade and always his first editor.
Sister Tricia, perhaps the family glue, dedicated and always caring.
And oh, Tim’s wonderful, eclectic friends from LA and around the country that stopped through on visits.
And finally, Ms Pippa, one of the finest dogs ever, the Simone Biles of dogs, the sergeant at arms of the neighborhood, the friend of all people and all dogs. Ms Pippa is all of that because of the superior dog owner Tim was. That too was a skill that Tim kindly shared with a number of struggling dog owners.
Go figure, Tim was also one fit and handsome man.
I will close highlighting Tim’s remarkable lifestyle. Simple yet profound, regimented, dedicated, healthy and focused on that which he enjoyed and could positively effect.
Tim led by example.
Each of us is a better person for having known him.
Tim was and will remain our modern day Henry David Thoreau.
