Saint Johners are mourning the passing of longtime city firefighter William “Billy” Johnstone.
He passed away last Thursday at the age of 68.
Originally from Miramichi, he spent more than 35 years as a City of Saint John firefighter.
He achieved the role of Command Officer as a District Chief and served for many years with the Rescue Squad.
Rest in Peace District Chief William Johnstone
37 Year City of Saint John Saint John Firefighter, HazMat Tech, Commander, Ambassador, Friend and quiet mentor for young firefighters. Saint John has tough search and rescue ops, as a Rescue Squad Billy did incredible work pic.twitter.com/fwJJqoNeNR— Mark Gillan🇨🇦 (@ESIMARK) March 15, 2020
Johnstone received several accommodations for bravery as a member of this service.
On Twitter, former deputy fire chief Mark Gillan called Johnstone a “quiet mentor” for young firefighters.
