Nick Johnston loved basketball. During his days at Ellsworth High School, no matter the season you never saw Johnston without a ball under his arm. He played basketball for USM his freshman year but due to injuries didn’t play again. He planned on rejoining the team this fall, but he will not be playing next season. Johnston died March 22 at age 22.
Johnston, a sophomore Portland Hall resident of undeclared major, died at a friend’s house on Thomas Shore Road in Raymond. He and three friends had been watching a basketball game on television. Johnston went to the bathroom, and after he did not return for 30 minutes, his friends checked on him and found him dead.
Sgt. David Hall of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office was one of the first on the scene. “We attempted to resuscitate him,” he said. “We was dead at the scene. He was not breathing and his heart had stopped.” Hall did not immediately find any evidence of drug paraphernalia but said he suspected the death to be an overdose. “He’s young. There was no reason. We made educated guesses.”
Detective Paul Thorpe is the investigating detective for this case but could not be reached for comment.
Portland Hall residents were notified of Johnston’s death through a mass voicemail on March 24 from Joy Britting, residence hall coordinator at Portland Hall. University Counseling Services to form support groups and provided transportation to the funeral in Ellsworth for students who wished to attend. Johnston’s father said USM has been very supportive and helpful during this difficult time.
Portland Hall
Johnston had taken a break from school from December of 2001 to January 2003 to work, travel and find direction for his life, said his father, Brett Johnston of Ellsworth. After his injury, Johnston was not able to play basketball but “he needed basketball as a focus point,” said his father. During his time off from school, Johnston fell into a bad element. However, he returned to USM this semester as part of a major step in getting his life back on track.
Johnston made friends very quickly at Portland Hall upon his return.
John Tarantino, an SMTC student, lived two doors from Johnston, and they were planning on moving in together the week of spring break.
“We used to hang out, have a few beers,” Tarantino said. The two used to spend a lot of time together, often playing basketball. “He used to kick my ass all the time.” Tarantino said that he didn’t know what had killed Johnston but said he believed it was an intravenous drug. “He was trying to get away from that. I had no idea he was doing that.”
Cliff Purdy, a fire science major at SMTC, was another friend from Johnston’s floor at Portland Hall. He remembered Johnston as very friendly. “He was a nice guy. I saw him every day. He’d be sitting in the lobby and he would always say ‘hi.’ Whether he knew you or not, he would always strike up a conversation. A really fun-loving kind of guy.”
Basketball
Ellsworth High School boy’s basketball coach Dan Clifford was a big fan of Johnston. “He was a dream to coach. He didn’t miss one night of summer basketball. It was his love.”
Clifford helped Johnston pick USM for his higher education because of its strong basketball program. “His parents didn’t know anything about USM or college athletics. I helped him find a good fit.”
Once at USM under Coach Dan Costigan, he was a strong player despite injuries. “He had great potential. He was a kid you want to have on your team,” Costigan said. “He was on track to be very successful. He was very good.”
Both coaches were disappointed by Johnston’s failure to return to the team his sophomore year. Costigan said if Johnston had continued to play, his death could have potentially been avoided. “It’s just too bad he didn’t hang around. Everyone liked Nick Johnston. I wish we’d had the opportunity to be able to help him.”
A former teammate of Johnston’s told Clifford of his death on March 23. “He went back to USM to get away from that,” said Clifford. “I was surprised. I thought he was on the right road. I still don’t know exactly what happened, and I don’t care. I only know he was only 22, and he was special to me and now he’s not here anymore.”
“I hope kids pay attention,” said Costigan. “He was a normal kid. This could happen to anyone. I hope there is a lesson here.”
Family
Johnston’s parents Brett and Doris Johnston left for a short vacation in Florida on Thursday, March 20. Their son dutifully called the night before to wish them a safe trip and let them know he would be down to Florida to meet his parents on Tuesday for spring break. That was the last time his father heard Johnston’s voice.
Johnston’s father got a call Saturday night at 11 p.m. from his son Jeremy, 24, to let him know that something terrible had happened at home.
“Nick was very good-hearted, and gentle,” said his father. “He really was a good person; he never hurt anybody.
“It is very difficult being a parent to accept it. You hope they’ll get through it. You just pray they survive without killing themselves or someone else. Some people don’t make it that far.”
It was very difficult for him to speak about his son; however, “if it can help salvage one or two people, there will be a positive result. Positive for other people.”
He stressed that USM had nothing to do with Johnston’s death and was in fact a determining factor in getting Johnston back on the right path. “I am most appreciative of USM. This was something of his own doing. He made his own bed and now he has to lie in it.”
He felt uncomfortable talking specifically about his son’s drug problem but acknowledged the widespread problem in the state, particularly in eastern Maine.
“Younger people think they are indestructible. I see it every day. I don’t know what the answer is. A lot of lives get destroyed for nothing. This was one of them.
“Someone suffers this situation on a daily basis, especially in eastern Maine. Our turn came up and we have to live with it.”
Moving on
There is great sadness in the people that Johnston’s life touched, from family to friends to coaches. The kid who loved basketball more than anything, who would talk to anyone no matter how cool or how dorky, the kid who appeared to be on the right track, is gone. He was a talented young man who was interested in computers and business but was having difficulty choosing a major at USM. His father urged him to choose a path in school that would lead to coaching.
Bad choices led Johnston to an early death. The tragic nature of this loss is compounded by his desire to break his habits and get back into schooling and on the basketball team.
His father said, “I always wonder, as a parent, what would he have become?”
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What do you do to cope with the loss of a friend or classmate?
1. Gather with others to talk about your feelings and memories. Don’t keep your emotions stuffed up inside.
2. Self-soothe. This is different for everyone. Some people exercise, drink tea, or go to the beach.
3. Understand that what you are going through is normal and gets easier with time. Feeling irritable or down are normal reactions.
4. Create rituals to say goodbye. Make dedications and get groups together to talk about memories or light candles.
5. If you feel overwhelmed, seek professional help.
University Counseling Services (UCS) held support groups at Portland Hall shortly after Johnston’s death and will do it again if the residents feel they are helpful.
UCS is also a good first place to find consultation if you are having substance abuse problems.
If you are a student taking six or more credits, you are entitled to up to 12 visits per semester. UCS has three licensed clinical psychologists and one licensed clinical counselor. UCS has locations in Portland, Gorham, and at LAC.
Gorham – 110 Upton Hall
Portland – 105 Payson Smith
780-4050
Information courtesy of Dr. Kristine Bertini, director of UCS and licensed clinical psychologist.