Mary Frances Honea Johnston

Mary Frances Honea Johnston, "Frances", age 85, passed away Saturday, January 29, 2022. Frances was born September 5, 1936 in Atlanta, Georgia. Frances was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She married Jim Johnston in 1955 and they moved to Huntsville in 1956, for him to work in the space program. She was a loving mom and full-time homemaker and worked as a preschool and kindergarten teacher for many years. Frances was a long-time member and teacher at Hillwood Baptist Church. As a founding resident on Weatherly Mountain in southeast Huntsville (62 years), the Weatherly Heights Arts Club members have been a great source of support and friendship.
Frances lived a life full of activity and adventure. Having married Jim Johnston, an Eagle Scout and nationally recognized explorer, she learned to enjoy every kind of adventuresome activity. Cave exploring was part of her life after marriage, from beginning to the end. She followed Jim through subterranean passages while pregnant with her first daughter, Karen, and regularly caved throughout her life, until Jim passed away in 1992. She often even celebrated Christmas in Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, TN. Frances wrote and most recently published (on Amazon) a book "Caving Alabama" about the early years of discovery and exploration. The cluster of close friends she and Jim developed through caving, continued to embrace their love of adventure together through other activities such as white-water kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, snow skiing, backpacking and wilderness camping, as well as extensive travel throughout the U.S. She was an active member of the National Speleological Society (NSS) and the Huntsville Grotto, the North Alabama Canoe and Kayak Club, and various scuba diving groups as a certified diver.
Frances was preceded in death by her childhood sweetheart and love of her life, James "Jim" Hardy Johnston, her parents, William Charles and Mary Elizabeth Nance Honea, sister, Catherine Lucille Honea (Gene) Seay, brother, William Daniel (Nita) Honea, and daughter, Nancy Elizabeth Johnston Gibson. Frances is survived by her daughter, Karen Janiece Johnston (Randy) Dunning; five granddaughters, Kelly Elizabeth Moreland (Andrew) East, Manda Johnston Dunning (Steven) Krueger, Meleah Durst Dunning, Joanna Lewis Dunning, and Elenya Honea Dunning; four great-grandchildren, Perry James East, Clara Elizabeth East, Lucy Belle Krueger, and Guinevere Joan Krueger; and countless other friends and relatives.
A private family service was held at Maple Hill Cemetery. The family would like to express our deepest thanks for the wonderful care given by countless medical providers and other staff at Huntsville Hospital and Hospice Family Care.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that you donate in Frances' memory to an organization, or cause, that is close to your heart.
She is now having the best heavenly reunion ever, with family and old friends. May the Lord be magnified and exalted.