A large number of friends and family gathered at Parc Gwyn, Narberth, on March 30, for the funeral of John Michael Johnston, known to all as Mick, who was born in Northampton, and lived with his parents and brother Peter in Leicester (writes daughter Lynn). A sombre but dignified service was held, with the bearers being, Mike Fox, Steve Cole and Ian Duffy (from Tenby Golf Club) and Rob Hall, Rob Izzard and Chris Thompson (from Manorbier Football Club) and a guard of honour by the RA Association, Pembroke.

On January 7, 1948, just short of 16-years-old, Mick, having spent his boyhood dreaming of defending his country during the war, made that dream a reality, and enlisted into the Boys Battery, Royal Artillery, and left home to start training. In 1950, he enlisted into the regular army, where due to his previous two years training, he very quickly became a radar specialist, spending a year with an Anti-Aircraft Regiment before joining the 82nd location Battery.

By age 22, Mick had already been promoted to Sergeant. The early days saw him stationed at Woolwich and Colchester, before the more exotic locations of Cyprus, followed by Egypt, where he owned his first dog Toby. By 1956, with the escalation of the Suez Crisis, he promptly proposed and married Eunice Lineker, in rather a whirlwind, before being posted back to Egypt. The Suez crisis blew over and Mick returned to Leicester.

In 1957, he was posted to The School of Artillery, Manorbier. At first living in Tenby, where Stephen was born that same year. Having moved to married quarters in Manorbier, along came Jack (dog number two) and Lynn was later born in 1960. By the start of 1963, his teaching skills having now been fully recognised, Mick (and family) were posted to a TA Camp, Ormskirk, Lancashire.

In 1966, Mick returned to the Manorbier School of Artillery. By now he was a SMIG (a Sergeant Major Instructor in Gunnery). He was promoted to Master Gunner, i.e. an expert in the technical aspects of Gunnery, and he was made WO1. In 1971, with the army camp in Manorbier closing, Mick was posted to Larkhill, and with the family wishing to stay in Pembrokeshire, he spent the last year commuting between the two.

In 1972, aged 40, Mick left the army after a career spanning over 24 years with an exemplary service record, having never raised a gun in anger. But the army was his second family. A very large extended family, and he couldn’t wait each year to attend his army reunion in Larkhill. He managed to do this for a further 35 years!

After much work from both Mick and Eunice, their house in Manorbier became a Guest House and Tea Rooms, and later in 1972 Mick started work with Customs & Excise on Coastal Patrol. This was a job made for Mick. His patch was between Pendine and Milford Haven. He would always insist the best source of information was to be found inside the local inns and pubs along that route! All was going well until it was felt there might be an IRA presence around the coast, Mick laughingly told his superior that he had evaded becoming involved in the Northern Irish troubles during his army days, as a British soldier, and a son of a Northern Irish Protestant dad, the army thought he was a target. His boss promptly ordered him a car bomb searching kit. Mick chose his own security device. Alsatian, Zeta 1, became his customs car companion!

After married quarters and a house that had needed so much work, in 1978 Mick and Eunice moved to Jameston. The bungalow was just about right for them, after a few tweaks, it was perfect and they loved it there, and along came Alsatian Zeeta 2, and another little dog called Lucky.

After coastal patrol, Mick had a stint at the Ferry terminal, followed by Texaco. He then got a promotion and became a VAT inspector. After 20 years in Customs & Excise, as with all civil servants, the government retired him at age 60. Mick would say, “having served King, Queen and Country for 44 years.”

With this experience, Mick started his own business and worked for a further 20 years as a VAT consultant. Through this time he had Zeta 3, and he finally retired fully at age 80, with his little dog Penny constantly by his side.

So what about Mick’s social life. He was a keen rugby player in the army, playing at hooker, and ran cross country too. Mick became involved with Manorbier Football Club in the 1970s, and by the 80s fund-raising began. I’m afraid we can no longer remember exact dates, but we do all remember the donkey derbies! Years and years of them! Bert Densly and Mick were indeed a force to be reckoned with. Volunteering to help they called it, and we all loved it, well for the first few years we did! Manorbier became a well-funded little football club, and they had great success on the pitch too.

Mick also loved his golf. He had started playing in the 70s for Tenby Golf Club Rabbits. His handicap was a little larger than he liked, but he loved the game all the same. Struggling with hip problems, Mick left the Rabbits and joined the Chicken Trotters, and after no longer being able to play, he became the Trotters’ treasurer, and finally Chief Trotter, and he remained an active social member throughout.

Mick was also a current member of the RA Association, Pembroke, and had been for many, many years.

So it’s at this point we have to admit Mick was a very sociable person. He liked to have a good time! He had a good time in the Evergreen, he had a good time in the County Club… and the Golf Club… and The Sun… and The Parsonage… and The Lydstep Tavern… and The Castle Inn… and The Swanlake Inn … and a few others too! He just had a good time!

Mick fancied himself as a bit of a photographer, and we have hundreds and hundreds of photos of all his dogs. He loved every one of them dearly, and he was never happier than when he had them, and his family gathered around him.

Last, but not least, we must mention Mick’s beloved Leicester City Football Club. What a massive smile he had on his face when they achieved winning the Premier League in May last year. Everyone was so pleased for him, and he said he couldn’t have been more proud than if he had won it himself.

In the 57 years Mick lived in Pembrokeshire, he made many, many friends, and he considered himself very much ‘a local’.

Mick was a much loved father to Lynn and her partner Patrick, and to Steve and his partner Julie, grandfather to Rachel and partner Craig, and great-grandfather to Gracie, and will be very much missed by all.