Linda Ann Faulkner-Johnston

Linda Ann Faulkner Johnston peacefully and fittingly joined her beloved Lord and Savior in heaven on Ash Wednesday, following complications from a period of illness. Born in Dallas on November 25, 1949, Linda attended Bradfield Elementary School, Highland Park Junior High School, and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1967. Linda attended Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Second semester of her junior year, she studied in Aix-en-Provence, France with Vanderbilt’s Program Abroad. Before returning to the States, Linda spent nearly eight wonderful weeks touring Europe and the British Isles. With the consummate joy she had exhibited since early childhood, she spent hours and days in museums, cathedrals and historic sites, taking in the art, beauty, cuisine and cultures about which she had read and studied and loved. Linda graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B. A. in Philosophy. Later in life she continued graduate work in English Literature and earned a Master’s Degree of Theological Studies, both from the University of Dallas. After graduating from Vanderbilt, Linda joined the Dallas KERA station in a Programming position. This experience landed her a job as head of Public Relations at the Neiman Marcus flagship store, which would ultimately change her life. It was during this time that she had a providential meeting with Letitia Baldridge, Social Secretary for Jackie Kennedy, and the author of the revised and expanded version of The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette. Letitia was so impressed with Linda that she called her dear friend Nancy Reagan and recommended her for a job at the White House. Linda was hired as Deputy Social Secretary to the White House. After her three-year tenure, Linda moved back home to Dallas to start her Public Relations firm. It wasn’t long before Nancy knew she had lost a “gem,” and contacted her to serve as The Social Secretary to the White House and Special Assistant to President Reagan for his second four-year term. As the Reagan administration Social Secretary, Linda was charged with organizing and coordinating all social activities in the United States and abroad. These duties included White House State Dinners, fundraisers, special events, and all White House affiliated functions. Linda produced a Moscow dinner for Soviet President Gorbachev. One of her most memorable evenings was hosting the special dinner for Prince Charles and Princess Diana that resulted in an iconic photo of the Princess dancing with John Travolta. She was often asked to describe that exciting night. Linda spoke on national television while attending Mrs. Reagan’s funeral at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and appeared in the CNN mini-series, The Windsors. After her stint at the White House, Linda embarked on a national speaking tour. She was asked by Mrs. Reagan if she would produce the opening of the Reagan Library in California. Linda returned to Dallas and joined Briggs Freeman real estate firm as a Public Relations writer. In addition, she served on the boards of several non-profits and continued with numerous speaking engagements throughout Dallas about her experiences at the White House. She also served as the “Etiquette Teacher” for Cotillion at the Dallas Country Club, significantly raising the bar and standards for generations of young children and their families throughout Dallas. In 2011, Linda became Vice President, Communications and Public Relations at Tradition Senior Living where she left an important legacy as the guardian of the Tradition brand that she so aptly coined, “Beauty is Just the Beginning.” In addition to overseeing all communications and messaging duties at Tradition Senior Living to include advertising, brochures, social media, numerous marketing events, internal and external communications, press releases, website copy, CEO speeches, event planning, external events hosted by The Tradition, and the scheduling of all marketing event speakers for all communities twice a month, Linda also left her mark as the developer of the Inspiring Person Series that appeared once a month in the Dallas Morning News. This wonderful acknowledgement to Dallas and Fort Worth’s most accomplished individuals became a sought-after commodity for all and an enduring historic account of these lives for generations to come. While at the White House, Linda met her very dearest friend and the man who was to become her husband, Gilbert Johnston, a legal aide to a friend elected to Congress. They began a thirty-year friendship that blossomed into romance and culminated in a beautiful wedding in Dallas on July 26th, 2014, with a honeymoon in Glacier National Park, Montana. Gilbert was an outdoor man. The couple bought a historic home in Terrell, Texas which they named Annandale, the Scottish location of Gilbert’s ancestors. Annandale is decorated with 17th, 18th and early 19th century hand-water-colored prints from recognized natural history artists/scientists, which speak of the glory of God’s creation. Linda was an extraordinary hostess and the two loved to entertain friends in their beautiful surroundings. Linda’s warmth and sense of style set the tone for all these special occasions, leaving guests with a magical sense of wonder and awe. Even as a very young girl, Linda embraced the world and exhibited inner joy for all the wonderful things life had to offer. She possessed a heightened sense of appreciation for all that she found beautiful in life and in people. Her ability to seize upon the best qualities of others made her beloved by all who knew her. A true beauty herself, both inside and out, she sought the most exquisite and perfect examples of God’s creations – from art and poetry, to museums, music, international cuisine and cathedrals, Linda had an innate sense of all that was unique and sublime – a true eye for the finest. Rising above all her accomplishments and amazing attributes was her remarkable faith in Jesus Christ, and that was her crowning glory. Linda exuded a joie de vivre that transcended all trials and tribulations of daily life on earth – truly a blessing to all who knew her. She was revered for her grace, elegance, generous heart, exquisite sense of style, intellectual prowess, and innate beauty. Most of all she was kind, a good friend, and a loving and devoted wife to her husband, Gilbert, for 10 years. From the very beginning and throughout their lives, Linda, her parents, and her brother had a deep love for one another. Per Tom Jr., “Growing up, we were as close as any family I ever knew.” Linda is survived by her husband, James Gilbert Johnston, father, Thomas P. Faulkner, brother Thomas P. Faulkner, Jr., his wife Cindy, her nephew Matthew, and niece Allie. She is preceded in death by her mother, Ann Harrison Faulkner. Services will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8017 Preston Road, on Friday, March 1st, at 12:00 p.m. A reception will immediately follow at The Tradition Lovers Lane, 5850 East Lovers Lane. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to www.discovery.org/ljohnston.

Tributes

Linda Ann Faulkner-Johnston

November 25, 1949 - February 14, 2024