Dee Johnston-McKinnon
Dee Johnston-McKinnon, of Norton, passed away December 22, 2020 at the age of 50. Beloved wife of David James McKinnon. Loving mother of Lee M. McKinnon, Annamaria A. McKinnon, Isabel A. McKinnon. She is also survived by her mother, Linda Johnston, her sisters: Manju J Yoder (William), Mallika Johnston, Yeshwanti Johnston and Lakshmi Johnston and several nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her grandfather, John J. Johnston and her sister, Jyotsna Johnston.
Love of family is what drove Dee’s heart and soul. Doting over her family as action could only express. Dee treated all her children’s friends as caringly as she would her own. Dee loved, pure and simple.
One of her favorite songs, her wedding song, exemplifies her life value, Simple Gifts:
'Tis the gift to be simple
'Tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
It will be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed
To turn, turn, will be our delight
'Til by turning, turning, we come round right
Dee was born in a village on the India/ Bangladesh border in 1968. She moved with her family into Kolkata due to fighting on the border. She was found at the Kolkata railway station by Mother Teresa and brought to her orphanage at 6 years old. Moving to the orphanage in Delhi , she then lived in Belgium and California before coming home to MA in August, 1981.
Dee graduated from Attleboro High School in 1988, attending Katherine Gibbs in Providence and graduating from UMASS Boston, 2001 BA Earth and Geographic Sciences.
After graduating UMass Boston, where she met her husband David, Dee worked at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, the Veterans Administration Hospital system in Jamaica Plain, Brockton, West Roxbury and Providence while raising her triplet babies to become wonderful teenagers. For the last few years Dee chose to be a homemaker so she could have more quality time with her children.
Dee loved to read voraciously, cook and garden, growing vegetables in the backyard raised bed. She was driven to cook and was talented teaching the kids her passion for creating meals. Usually, meals would be simple. Her goal was to teach them to become independent through creative engaged education.
Isabel, Anna, and Lee are who Dee lived for and so fervently wished to see grow and perhaps have families of their own. She wanted her children to have a stable, safe childhood, one that she did not have at a young age. Dee succeeded by providing the best nurturing family life a Mom could ever give.
Visiting hours will be held at the Hurley Funeral Home, 134 So. Main St. (Rt. 28), Randolph on Monday, December 28th from 2-4pm. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Covid-19 precautions will be in place.
Guestbook
First Name: Diana
Last Name: Wilson
City: Bonita
State: CA
Country: USA
Entry Date: 12/27/2020
With all my heartfelt sympathy to you, David and the girls. I was blessed to have known such a strong and loving young lady.
May you find comfort in her memory and in all the love she gave to each and every one of you.
First Name: Diane
Last Name: Amster
City: Norton
State: MA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/27/2020
Dee, You are a special, kind, warm soul. You will be greatly missed.
David, Lee, Anna and Isabel, our hearts go out to you.
With love and with deepest sympathies,
Diane Amster and family
First Name: Lori
Last Name: McKinnon
City: Hull
State: MA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/27/2020
Dee will always hold a special place in our hearts. She was always first to hug you at any family get together , making sure that everyone was happy,fed,and comfortable. She was always upbeat , she treated all her nieces and nephews with the same love she gave her own children . Her warmth was felt in every encounter. She will be dearly missed.
First Name: Helen
Last Name: Fitzgerald
City: Mansfield
State: MA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/27/2020
Dear Dave and girls
So truly for your loss. You are all in my thoughts
and prayers during such a sad time.
I worked with your mom during the 2010 census and at the
VA. A wonderful person I had the pleasure to meet and got
got to know.
God bless you.
Helen
First Name: Jodi
Last Name: Hall
City: Reading
State: MA
Country:
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Dee you will be missed. I will always remember being kids together in the orphanage in New Delhi and all the great memories in Attleboro, MA. I remember how in New Delhi all the nuns loved you so much and took special care of you...now may angels do the same.
Loving and missing you always,
Jodi
First Name: Tom
Last Name: grovez
City: plainville
State: MA
Country: norfork
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Dave, my friend. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Please reach out if you need a friend!
First Name: Brad
Last Name: Wilson
City: San Diego
State: CA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Dee (or DeeDee as I knew her) was always kind and inquisitive. I enjoyed having a foster sister, if only for a little while. I am so glad that she kept in touch with my mother all of these years, and I enjoyed learning of all her accomplishments. What a truly remarkable woman! Surely these traits will live on, in her likeness. Possibly we will have the great fortune to meet in person one day.
With love and my best wishes to Johnston-McKinnon Families,
Bradley G Wilson
First Name: Elaine
Last Name: Goldstein
City: Sharon
State: MA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
As a member of First Parish UU Church in Canton I send my condolences to Dee's family.
First Name: Edward J
Last Name: Guadalupe JR
City: Bristol
State: RI
Country: us
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Hello
Dee work with me at the providence VA. She was a loving and caring person we loved here at the VA Logistics department. My heart goes out to her husband and children.
She will be missed,
With all love from my family to DEE and her family.
Rest in Peace
Edward J Guadalupe JR
First Name: William
Last Name: McEvoy
City: Plainville
State: MA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Lisa and I express out heartfelt condolences to all Dee's family and friends. May she be welcomed with open arms into God's kingdom. God bless you Dee.
"Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, so loved, so missed, so very dear"
First Name: Charlie
Last Name: Earle
City: Canton
State: MA
Country:
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Sorry to hear of her passing. I miss seeing her and you at church. When we meet again at church , I would love it if you would join me when I make breakfast on a Sunday morning.
First Name: Kimberly & Mark
Last Name: Burke
City: Mansfield
State: MA
Country:
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Dee was always so sweet and sincere. A life taken too soon. May she rest in peace. Our love and prayers to David and the triplets. We bear heavy hearts.
First Name: Elise
Last Name: Bresnik
City: Mansfield
State: MA
Country: US
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Bart and I send our love and condolences to Dee's family.
May Dee's memory be a blessing to all who loved her.
First Name: Don / Carol / Jennessa / Michaela
Last Name: Seaman
City: Attleboro,
State: MA
Country:
Entry Date: 12/28/2020
Dear David, Lee, Anna and Isabel,
It was a shock to hear of Dee’s passing.
We made our acquaintance in the time Dee spent at FPUU-Canton with the kids. Dee jumped in immediately and began to make connections with the members of the congregation. I had many conversations with her during coffee hour centered around our kids and their connections. In my experience in knowing her she was always helping / doing / advocating.
Her light will be missed.
Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Kind regards,
Don, Carol, Jennessa, and Michaela Seaman
First Name: Annamaria
Last Name: McKinnon
City: Norton
State: MA
Country: United States
Entry Date: 12/29/2020
My Mother always made sure to make everyone feel at home, no matter who it was. My siblings friends and my friends were treated the same as us all the time. She made sure to teach us the essential things of life when we asked. My Mother was very supportive of the changes we had made, including our sexualities, genders, and any other form of changes we felt we needed to tell her about. My mother was an overall very experienced soul who put love and care in front of her. My siblings and I were her life goal, a family, she wanted kids, and so I am proud to be the child of a warrior. The laws of physics say energy cannot be destroyed, only transported. We as humans and everything around us is made of energy, my Mother is not gone, she is only in a new form, leaving her physical body behind. That is how I see it.
First Name: Kathleen
Last Name: Barrett
City: Canton
State: MA
Country:
Entry Date: 12/30/2020
I'm so sorry to hear that Dee has left her family and friends, including her friends at First Parish UU, Canton.
She was so warm and caring and always ready to help.
We always loved her and her family.
She is a bright star in the heavens.