Jeppo
Member
I hope this is the appropriate place for this sad news. We’ve lost a great man and an important contributor to our hobby/sport.
I started noticing Third Gen posts here weren’t getting the typical “likes” from my friend. Digging a bit, I saw he hadn’t been on here, since 3/8. Sent him an email asking whether he was ok and received no answer. Googled around this morning and found what you see at the bottom.
After becoming interested in Smith & Wesson guns, I began reading everything I could. I noticed there was a guy, apparently profoundly knowledgeable and experienced, posting a lot here. He claimed to work at a LGS not far from me so I sent him a PM asking whether I could invite myself over to make his acquaintance. He graciously agreed and I went over a few days later.
The store was busy and I just stood around listening to one guy working with a couple. It was obvious this would be their first gun and they knew absolutely nothing about firearms. As I eavesdropped, it became clear the guy had to be John. He wasn’t trying to sell them a gun. He was asking more questions than the customers and was trying to find a gun that would fit their needs, even though they didn’t yet understand those needs. He didn’t sell them anything and seemed perfectly ok with that. When they left the store, they had been educated by a true expert. After they left, I went over and said, “You’re John, right?”. Our friendship began.
Looking back, I’m trying to understand what I valued most about our friendship. Was it taking in his knowledge and experience? Was it watching him shoot? Was it him watching me and saying I’m not as bad as I obviously am? Was it fighting over “whose turn it is to pay” when we’d meet for a hot dog or burger? Was it reading his long and extremely thoughtful posts? It was all of that, and so much more.
I’ve written before about watching John shoot “Mrs. Jones” at my place. It was amazing to see what he could do with that old 66. It made me go out and find one and it was the only gun I shot in 2019. I reckoned that shooting a revolver in DAO would help me improve. Thousands of rounds later, who knows.
Along with the memories, I’m fortunate to own a couple of his guns. Of course, if they had been really special to him, he wouldn’t have sold them to me. But anyway, they had been his. I’m going to miss John, a lot! RIP my friend.
18DAI has left the building.
I started noticing Third Gen posts here weren’t getting the typical “likes” from my friend. Digging a bit, I saw he hadn’t been on here, since 3/8. Sent him an email asking whether he was ok and received no answer. Googled around this morning and found what you see at the bottom.
After becoming interested in Smith & Wesson guns, I began reading everything I could. I noticed there was a guy, apparently profoundly knowledgeable and experienced, posting a lot here. He claimed to work at a LGS not far from me so I sent him a PM asking whether I could invite myself over to make his acquaintance. He graciously agreed and I went over a few days later.
The store was busy and I just stood around listening to one guy working with a couple. It was obvious this would be their first gun and they knew absolutely nothing about firearms. As I eavesdropped, it became clear the guy had to be John. He wasn’t trying to sell them a gun. He was asking more questions than the customers and was trying to find a gun that would fit their needs, even though they didn’t yet understand those needs. He didn’t sell them anything and seemed perfectly ok with that. When they left the store, they had been educated by a true expert. After they left, I went over and said, “You’re John, right?”. Our friendship began.
Looking back, I’m trying to understand what I valued most about our friendship. Was it taking in his knowledge and experience? Was it watching him shoot? Was it him watching me and saying I’m not as bad as I obviously am? Was it fighting over “whose turn it is to pay” when we’d meet for a hot dog or burger? Was it reading his long and extremely thoughtful posts? It was all of that, and so much more.
I’ve written before about watching John shoot “Mrs. Jones” at my place. It was amazing to see what he could do with that old 66. It made me go out and find one and it was the only gun I shot in 2019. I reckoned that shooting a revolver in DAO would help me improve. Thousands of rounds later, who knows.
Along with the memories, I’m fortunate to own a couple of his guns. Of course, if they had been really special to him, he wouldn’t have sold them to me. But anyway, they had been his. I’m going to miss John, a lot! RIP my friend.
18DAI has left the building.
