Harry M.K. Johnston | Bank president, 73

Harry M.K. Johnston, 73, of Blue Bell, a retired bank president, died of cancer Saturday at home.

In 1984, Mr. Johnston became the first president of Chestnut Hill National Bank, founded by nine Chestnut Hill residents and businesspeople. It was open 12 hours each weekday and three hours Saturday mornings. He once told an Inquirer reporter, "We're hoping this will be convenient to an awful lot of people who need banking services they can't get through a machine." In the first five years, bank assets grew from $2.3 million to $50 million.

A year before retiring in 1991, Mr. Johnston and the bank's vice president pursued a robber who had stolen $1,958 from the bank. The men helped police apprehend the thief, who had robbed three other banks in Philadelphia.

Mr. Johnston grew up in Harrisburg. He graduated from the Hill School in Pottstown and earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University.

He was active in Harrisburg civic affairs, and was vice president of the banking division of Commonwealth National Bank in Harrisburg before coming to Philadelphia.

From 2000 to 2002, he was community manager of the Chestnut Hill Community Association. He was past chairman of the management committee of the Chestnut Hill Local.

Mr. Johnston enjoyed reading. He also played golf and tennis, and was a member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

He is survived by his wife of seven years, Sally Roesser Johnston; a son, Harry; daughters Margaret Burke, Susan Trump, and Phyllis Gilbert; two stepchildren; 17 grandchildren; a brother; and a sister. His first wife, Inez Kendrick Johnston, died in 1998.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia 19118, where Mr. Johnston was an elder. Memorial donations may be made to the church.