Reg Johnstone

A man who lived life to the fullest-by his own rules.

Reg was born to Lloyd and Maxine Johnstone, at Stettler Hospital and passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at the Chinook Regional Hospital.

The family home during Reg’s early years was in the Erskine area, now known as the Ol’ MacDonald’s Resort. He grew up alongside his older brother, Daryl “Barney”; younger sister, Theresa “Terry”; and younger brother, Ross.

Even as a preschooler, Reg has a natural way with horses. When Daryl was in Grade One neither he nor his parents could catch the horse for him to ride to school, they would wake Reg to do the job-successfully, every time.

Reg attended Scales, a one room country school, riding horseback there with Daryl until Grade Four, when they began taking the school bus. In November 1960, Lloyd and Maxine purchased a 
farm southeast of Bashaw, where Reg lived until leaving home. Reg attended Bashaw School from Grade Seven through Ten.

Growing up, Reg and his siblings were active members of the Bashaw 4-H Beef club. Reg and Daryl often broke the calves to ride before ever teaching them to lead – usually just a week before the beef show.

As teenagers, Reg and Daryl hitched small wagons, sleighs, and anything else they could manage behind their ponies. On one memorable occasion, they even attached a baby carriage. Reg climbed in, Daryl gave the pony a swat, and off they went. Reg later told his Mother that they were going “60 miles an hour”.

Working alongside his father, Reg drove the working horse team in the fields, raking hay-experiences that laid the foundation for the life he would go on to lead.

To complete Grade Eleven, Reg stayed with his uncle, Lyle Lyster, in Winfield. After high school, he worked as a cattle wrangler in Millarville, riding and tending the cattle in the mountains, before later heading to work on the oil rigs.

Reg began a family with Virginia Stewart, and their two children, Wade and Barbara. Later, as the wagon wheels turned, Reg and Darlene Willford added son Jason to the family. In 1976, Reg began chuckwagon racing-launching a remarkable 40-year career. Known far and wide as the “Bashaw Flash”, he left a lasting mark on the sport. Watch “2016 World Professional Chuckwagon 
Association (WPCA) Special Tribute Award” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys0jXjBsrho. One of Reg’s greatest joys was that all of his children shared his passion for chuckwagon racing and were involved alongside him, creating lifelong memories together.

Following his retirement, Reg continued his involvement by judging for several years with the WPCA and the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association. Throughout his life, Reg also enjoyed outriding, baseball, roping, dancing, race horses and coyote, deer and elk hunting. For the last several years, Reg and Marilyn owned and operated the “Country Corner Store” in Turin, Alberta. They loved their companion dogs, Lady and Peanut.

To mourn his passing, cherish loving memories and remember special times are his common-law  partner, Marilyn Openshaw, Turin, AB; three children, Wade “Butch” Vernon Stewart, Bashaw, AB; Barbara “Billy” Lynette Baines, Claresholm, AB; and Jason (Jennifer) Ross Johnstone, Blackie, AB; and four grandchildren, Brittany (Ricky) Soderburg, Chase (Evelyn) Soderburg, Cody Baines, and Samantha (Shawn) Stewart. Reg is also survived by his sister, Terry Gerber, nieces, nephews and extended family.

He was predeceased by his brother Ross Johnstone (1978), nephews Doran Johnstone (1978) and David Johnstone (1988), his father Lloyd Henry Johnson (2002) her mother Maxine (Lyster) Johnstone (2010), and his brother Daryl Johnstone (2023).

The family extends a heartfelt thank you to Marilyn for her exceptional care, companionship and love for such a strong-willed, high-spirited successful man and Billy Melville for capturing Reg’s 
chuckwagon life and accomplishments.

A memorial service will be held at the Bashaw Community Centre on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 1pm. Bring your memories and stories! A luncheon to follow.

Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to the Bashaw Multi 4-H Club at the service or by e-transfer to regjohnstonememorial@gmail.com, which was an organization dear to his heart and he was proud to support.

Rest in Peace, Bashaw Flash. May there be many “Half Mile of Hell” races in heaven!

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