John J Johnston (1965–2025)

Long-time member, and former Vice-Chair, of the Society John Johnston died on the morning of 28 August 2025, after a short illness. He was a larger-than-life character, and a well-known lecturer, especially on his speciality of the popular reception of ancient Egypt, in particular in the world of film. He was also a world-expert on Dr Who, and his garden boasted a full-size Tardis. A true bon viveur, the Eurovision party he and his husband (another John) hosted was a highlight of the social year for his wide circle of friends.

He was Vice-Chair of Trustees from 2010 until 2016, which coincided with my own time as Chair, and he was a convivial and effective colleague. But we had been close friends since 1982, when we met at the departmental freshers’ party in the museum (now Garstang Museum) at Liverpool University. Although John didn’t actually graduate from the Liverpool Egyptology degree (‘stuff’ kept getting in the way!), he later obtained his first degree from the Open University and then a Masters from UCL, where he had been working on his PhD. He wrote extensively and appeared on videos and television, and was one of the editors with me of the Festschrift for Professor John Tait in 2014 – although it was rather typical ‘John’ that his excellent paper (on the Egyptian film director Shadi Abdel Salam, creator of The Night of Counting the Years) was the last to be submitted.

Born in Glasgow, but brought up in Cumbernauld, just outside the city, he met his husband John while at Liverpool, and they made national news when they became the first same-sex couple to marry in a church (the Dutch Church in London, courtesy of a quirk of an act of the reign of Edward VI!) in January 2016. Life will be that much duller without John around, and it's difficult to think that people will never again hear that wonderful timbre of his voice, or experience his enthusiasm for life.

Aidan Dodson, 28th August 2025