In Memoriam: Stanley D. Johnston

The lighting industry lost a guiding light and inspirational mentor when long-time American Lighting Association (ALA) member and industry veteran Stanley Johnston passed away unexpectedly in January.

His wife, Kathy, and their three children decided to hold a memorial for their beloved on what would have been his 82^nd birthday. An avid golfer, Stan’s memorial service was fittingly held on the grounds of the Palos Verdes Golf Club in California on February 12^th. More than 100 people – including his lighting industry peers, family, and friends from his regular Friday morning breakfast club – came to pay their respects and to share their memories of their friend who loved to laugh, play pranks, and was incredibly generous with his time and always eager to share his lighting knowledge with others.

A trailblazer early on in establishing the lighting education efforts on behalf of the ALA, Stan holds the distinction of being the first person in the lighting industry to achieve the ALA’s Certified Lighting Consultant (CLC) designation nearly as soon as the coursework became available. He then encouraged others in the industry to do the same and was a lifelong supporter of the organization’s educational programs, including the relatively new Certified Lighting Manufacturers’ Representative (CLMR) designation.              

Stan enjoyed learning; later in life, he went to Pepperdine University and earned his MBA. He was inducted into the ALA’s Lighting Hall of Fame in 2002, and was later awarded the ALA’s Excellence in Education Award in the Manufacturers’ Rep category in 2004, among other distinctions.

Stan was still highly engaged with the ALA community and attended the 2015 ALA Conference in Huntington Beach, California in September.