Gwinavere Johnston

1943 - 2018

Gwinavere Adams Johnston, a public relations powerhouse who lived life out loud, died Nov. 1, 2018. Always one to do things on her own terms, she took advantage of the medical-aid-in-dying legislation after struggling with her diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). She was 75. Born in 1943, Johnston's roots grew in Wyoming, spending her childhood in Sheridan and Douglas. Later in life, she attended the University of Wyoming. She graduated in 1966 with a Bachelor's degree in journalism. She was a city mouse at heart, so she moved to Denver a year later. She never looked back. From early on, public relations was her calling. In 1971, she founded The Johnston Group, which ultimately grew into JohnstonWells, one of the largest public relations firms in the Rocky Mountain region. In her beginnings, she was a renegade in a male-dominated industry, which earned her endearing nicknames too inappropriate to print. During her illustrious career, public relations professionals from Japan to Prague benefited from her wisdom, as she traveled the world as an IPREX partner and, at one time, served as president of IPREX North America. She had an impressive client list over the years: Coors, US WEST, Qwest, Wells Fargo, Pacificare, the Joint Operating Agreement between The Denver Post and the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News and Goodwill Industries, to name a few. In 2011, Johnston was inducted into the Denver Press Club's Hall of Fame. She was a fellow and president of the PRSA Counselor's Academy, served as president of PRSA Colorado and also was a Silver Anvil judge for many years. She retired in 2016. Deeply committed to her community, Johnston was an inaugural member of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation's Leadership Denver Class and a founding member of Denver's 2% Club. She served on numerous boards, including Mile High United Way, the Colorado Judicial Institute, the University of Wyoming Foundation, Wyoming Business Council, Denver Athletic Club, Outward Bound and Colorado Business Committee for the Arts. Johnston could get jiggy on any dance floor, she loved martinis, and she created some of the most impressive needlepoint this side of the Mississippi. She was confident, direct (sometimes to a fault), funny and a lover of musicals, football and tickling the ivories. She inherited her mother's love - and skill - of gardening but couldn't keep the Koi in her pond alive for nothing. Damn raccoons. Johnston's career was her pride, and she accomplished all of that while raising two rather rebellious daughters on her own for many years. In 1981, she married Don Cannalte, a PR guru in his own right. Cannalte died in 2010. She is survived by a bunch of friends - and probably a few enemies - as well as her sister Mary Apple; brother Bob Adams; two daughters, Gwinavere (GG) Johnston and Gabi Johnston; six grandchildren: Gwinavere (Gavin) Gladson, Griffin Gladson, Grant Gladson, Gregor Owens, Aspen Crist and Cooper Crist; one great granddaughter, Gwinavere Simpson; three stepsons, Doug Canalte, Mark Canalte and Ross Cannalte; six step-grandchildren: Carly Canalte, Alyssa Cannalte, Maxwell Cannalte, Zachary Cannalte, Daniel Cannalte, Haleigh Cannalte, Hayden Cannalte; and one step-grandchild, Luke Pauly. A celebration of life will be held on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at Quebec Place at Fairmount Cemetery at 430 S. Quebec St. in Denver. A reception befitting of Johnston will immediately follow. In her honor, please wear (at least a pop of) her favorite colors - red, orange or yellow. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Mile High United Way at bit.ly/ForGwin or the University of Wyoming at http://www.uwyo.edu/uwpresents/make-a-donation/ or http://www.uwyo.edu/uwpresents/make-a-donation/ or the Rose Andom Center http://roseandomcenter.org .