Des Johnston Obituary, Death – Des Johnston was a local treasure and a life member of the Kangaroo Island Football League. The League, along with its football family and the Parndana Sports Club, mourns his departure with profound regret. (DK). DK spent his childhood on a farm in Dawson. (just Northwest of Peterborough). During World War II, DK was a member of the Navy and served on the HMAS Swan in the war for the Pacific. After the war, he took up an invitation to join the military settlement plan on the western end of KI.
There, he worked as a dozer driver for three years, clearing land, before he and his wife Rita started their own farm close to Parndana. DK served as president of the Parndana Football Club from 1965 until 1969 and was actively involved in the club’s operations for a significant number of years before to and after his time in that role. He had a membership for life. DK served as President of the KIFL for a total of 18 years, beginning in 1971 and ending in 1988, and he has been an active participant in League activities ever since then.
D.K. would always have time to stop and provide insight while enjoying a game of football, and we treasured his support of our different Presidents and Committees over the years – it is fair to say that D.K. “never missed a trick” in what was occurring in Kangaroo Island football. D.K. “never missed a trick” in what was happening in Kangaroo Island football.
There will have been a great number of shifts, difficulties, and advancements during DK’s tenure, and he frequently served as a sounding board for us in situations in which we need a wise and historical point of view. When things became tough, he would also have a naughty laugh with many of our committee members. He would tell us that leadership is never easy and that you have to rise above it and deal fairly, which are attributes of a leader that he knew very well. He would also remind us that leadership is never easy.