Johnie London Alston

Mr. Johnie “London” Alston was born on February 6, 1945, to Johnnie and Ruth Alston in Durham, NC. He departed this life on Sunday, May 22, 2022, at WakeMed Hospital Cary NC, following a brief illness.  He was preceded in death by his parents, sister (Lecy), and first wife (Sylvia).

As a youth, London began his spiritual journey at Mitchell Chapel AME Zion Church where he served on the Usher Board and participated in Sunday School Class, and was a loyal member for many decades.

London attended Horton High School in Pittsboro, NC graduating in 1963. He maintained lifelong friendships and enjoyed attending class reunions with his classmates. After graduation, he married Sylvia Jordan in 1966, and to this union, a daughter and son were born, Carla and Bryan Keith.

London was always dependable, timely, and a hard worker.  He was first employed at the early age of 14 at Gooze Farm in Pittsboro, NC and continued this strong work ethic throughout his life. He later began a long career with Collins and Aikman Corporation (Mastercraft) in Siler City, NC.  After more than 40  years as a maintenance technician, he retired in August of 2008 but continued sharing his valuable skills at various part-time jobs until his recent illness and hospitalization.

On April 18, 2014, he began a new phase of his life when he married Judy Dowdy. Together they embarked on adventures from weekend getaways to cruises, and London discovered a new love of traveling. He also became an active member of the East Chatham Senior Citizen Group where he and Judy enjoyed socializing with friends together. With his green thumb and love of nature, he loved gardening, fishing, hunting, and sightseeing. He also loved laughing and spending time with family, friends, and his dog, Kobe.

Also in 2014, London joined Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, rededicating his life to Christ, where he was a member of the Male Chorus and the Sunday school senior class.  He remained active for as long as his health allowed and even after he had to slow down, his relationship with God remained strong throughout his illness.

London was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, nephew, and friend to many. He leaves to cherish his loving memory: his devoted and loving wife, Judy of the home; two children, daughter Carla A. McCrae of Pittsboro  and son Bryan Keith Alston (Sherrice) of Greensboro; stepson Kevin Dowdy of Moncure; three sisters, Elna A. Smith (Danny) of Topsail Beach; and Cynthia A. Suggs and Annette Alston, both of Durham; sister-in-law Shirley Davis (Joseph) of Brandywine MD and brother-in-law Ronell Dowdy of Sanford; grandson Anthony McCrae of Durham; three granddaughters, Deandra McCrae of Chapel Hill, Lauren McCrae of Pittsboro and Sophia Alston of Greensboro; two great-grandchildren, Londyn McCrae of Chapel Hill and Channing McCrae of Durham; niece Kendra Smith of Washington, DC; nephew Karl Jones Jr of Raleigh; uncle Joseph Alston of Durham; Aunt Hazel Mae Alston of Pittsboro; three step-grandsons, Demetrius Wilson of Pittsboro,  and Michael Rowe and Tony Rowe, both of Fayetteville; six step-great-grandchildren; and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who loved him.

ATTENTION: Everyone that enters the funeral home and or attends services- MUST WEAR A MASK

Thank you in advance for helping us protect the families and communities that we serve.

Professional services entrusted to Knotts Funeral Home-Pittsboro