Edwin “Eddie” Johnston has had both a strong family and business connection to Glendale all of his life. Through his personal commitment of giving back to the community, he has made an indelible mark, especially on Glendale Memorial Hospital.
Many generations of the Johnston family have started their lives at the hospital, including Eddie. On August 3, 1941, Eddie was born to Eddie E. and Mildred Francis Johnston at Glendale Memorial Hospital which at the time was called Physicians and Surgeons Hospital. His sister, Sharon Lee Johnston, was also born there two years earlier. Later, Eddie’s wife, Carin, delivered their two sons, Justin and Cameron, at Glendale Memorial.
Eddie’s parents founded the family business, Suppose U Drive Truck Rental and Lease, 75 years ago in Glendale. The Glendale office, which was moved down the street in 1946, still resides in the same location at 3809 San Fernando Road while their second office is in Norwalk. In the mid 1960s, Eddie joined the company as the Operations Manager and in 1983, after his father’s passing, Eddie became the President and COO. Since his recent retirement, in the long family tradition, Eddie’s son, Justin, is now the company’s President and COO and his son, Cameron, is the Vice President.
For more than 10 years, Eddie has actively served on Glendale Memorial Health Foundation’s Board of Directors until stepping down this past June. During his time on the board, Eddie was involved with the Annual Evening of Wine and Roses and took on the role of event chairman and later co-chairman of the Glendale Memorial Golf Classic from 2005 to 2008. The 2005 tournament marked the first year for the event at Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank which he organized along with fellow board member Ed Keh. This tournament was special to Eddie because it was dedicated to his late mother for her generous contributions to Glendale Memorial.
“Glendale Memorial continues to have the finest reputation for high quality patient care and for excellent physicians who are top in their field,” says Eddie. “Many hospital areas such as the Heart Center and the Colorectal Surgery Institute offer state-of-the-art treatment that reaches patients far beyond the Glendale area and into the surrounding communities.”
Thanks to the many years of Eddie’s leadership and commitment, Glendale Memorial Health Foundation has been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds to support the many vital needs of the hospital including purchasing advanced medical equipment that directly helps patients become well again. One example is 13 Giraffe OmniBeds that were purchased for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU cares for premature and sick infants, getting them strong to return home with their parents. In the past, infants had to be transferred between three different beds. These Giraffe beds allow the infants to remain in one place continuously during their stay, minimizing environmental changes that could impede their healing.
“I am very excited to see Glendale Memorial grow in the years ahead,” says Eddie. “Raising funds to meet the ever expanding needs of the hospital depends on the support from our local community leaders, business owners and generous donors. It is through building these strong relationships that the hospital will continue to proudly serve future generations.”
Family is very dear to Eddie, and he and Carin enjoy spending time with their sons, daughters-in-law and three grandchildren; Liam, age 5; Rowan, age 2; and Scarlet, 5 months. They also like to travel to Europe and vacation at their homes in the desert and in Cabo San Lucas.
“I was very sad recently to lose my friend and fellow board member Louise Lewis to cancer,” recalls Eddie. “She was such a giving person and she would say ‘volunteering is not a choice, it’s a responsibility.’ It has been a real privilege for me to serve on the Foundation Board all these years and I encourage others to do the same.”
