PASSAGES
Dale Johnston
Sound Editor
1933-2004
Emmy award winner and sound editor Dale Johnston died at age 71 from complications due to chemotherapy on Tuesday, October 26. His wife of 46 years, Ann, their children Susan, Allison, Adam and Ted, and their grandchildren were by his side at their home in Thousand Oaks, California.
Johnston loved his work as sound editor on motion pictures, television movies and various series, which he did for 34 years, mostly at Universal Studios. He won his Emmy Award for the television movie Duel, directed by Steven Spielberg. He supervised the sound editing on many shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Lou Grant and Murder She Wrote, as well as the features Cannery Row and Urban Cowboy, among others.
In 1982 Johnston teamed up with Ron Clark to create the company, Sound FX Inc, where he worked for eight years. His great joy was introducing his son Adam into sound editing and seeing him win his own Emmy for Smallville. Johnston’s last hurrah was the movie The Shawshank Redemption, which received an Oscar nomination for best Sound.
In 1994 he retired and enjoyed life, fishing, gardening and most of all, his family. Johnston especially enjoyed the annual retiree luncheon put together by Editors Guild Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Elias, and twice got up to give an impromptu speech thanking Elias for all he did for the retired editors. At a surprise luncheon he presented Elias with a clock inscribed with heartfelt thanks from all the retirees.
Johnston was always ready to lend a hand and had a wonderful sense of the ridiculous. He convinced his fishing buddies to wear ties with their tee-shirts while catching the “big ones.” He loved his garden, and was very proud of having articles and photographs about him in magazines and newspapers. His prowess as a fisherman was legendary; he was indeed the “Young Man of the Sea.”
He was well loved by both family and friends and will always be in their
hearts. Memorial contributions may be made to the Motion Picture & TV
Fund, Woodland Hills, California.
- Ann Johnston
In Memoriam
Leonard Corso
Sound Editor
February 1, 1914––September 30, 2004
53 years as a member
Hugh G. Kelley
Picture Editor
February 18, 1924––December 28, 2003
48 years as a member
Reginald Frank Lyons
Picture Editor
September 13, 1912––October 30, 2004
67 years as a member
Carl J. Vitale
January 2, 1925––October 19, 2004
45 years as a member
Edward Warchilka
Picture Editor
March 15, 1928––November 6, 2004
44 years as a member
NOTICE
In order for Editors Guild members or retirees who have passed away
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call Fred Arteaga at 323-876-4770, ext. 243 with information.
Also, if family members or friends would like to write an obituary for their loved ones in the “Passages” section of the magazine, please contact Tomm Carroll at 323-876-4770, ext. 222 for guidelines and due dates.