R.I.P. John Johnson

It is with great regret and a heavy heart that I have to inform you guys that my good friend and fellow member, JohnJ, passed away on 18th December 2020.

Those of you that followed us here from Skid's Place will no doubt remember him, as he was a regular contributor there. New members will not know him, as, although he signed up to ASM in May, due to his deteriorating  health he never posted here.

I knew John for at least ten years, following each other from escale models, to Zbucksters, to Skid's Place and finally to ASM. We always got on well and never had a cross word between us. We Skyped on a regular basis, chewed the fat and 'put the world to rights' on there, many times.

After my wife died in October 2017, John and his lovely wife Patrica, again immediately invited me to go and stay with them for a while. (I'd stayed with them for a week in 2014).

Initially planned for February 2018,  following a chance conversation with him, in which he revealed he'd never been to Speed Week at Bonneville Salt Flats, (despite living just 100 miles away, we fixed up for me to go and spend three weeks with them in August 2018, taking in Speed Week.

To say I was made welcome would be a gross  understatement. John, Patrica and his whole extended family couldn' have made me more welcome. By the time I had to leave, both of us had tears in our eyes and then to cap it all, John gave me the biggest bear hug you could imagine. Then to top even that, he told me most sincerely, that he thought of me as, and loved me as a third brother.

I have so many lovely memories of that trip, I could spend hours typing them here!!

When I arrived at his lovely home and after I had unpacked, I gave him the present I had brought for him and which he had no clue was coming. The present? A Minicraft 1:16th scale 1931 Ford Model A Sedan, which I had converted into a CHP police sergeants car. (John was an ex CHP cop and had a collection of diecasts and models he'd built along that theme.)

The look on his face will never leave my memory...... he  just couldn't believe it and  tears appeared in his eyes.



Rest in peace John and know that you will never be forgotten on this side of lifes pond.

Al.

Sad news indeed Al.

I spoke to John on Skype many times and considered him a good friend, there was always laughter and craic.

I will miss our conversations.

I remember a bit of planning and subterfuge about bringing over the Model A which wasn't supposed to be finished.... It was funny!

Please pass my condolences on to Patricia.

Though I never met John, I'll miss his contributions. My condolences to his family. RIP.

Thanks guys. I'll be sure to pass on your best wishes.

He was a very special friend of mine and I'll be staying in touch with Patrica via Skype.

sad news indeed, known John since escale days :(

please pass on my condolences

Thanks Paul.

John was such a great guy. He will be missed.

So sad to hear this news. I knew John from personal meetups at several GSL contests. What a friendly person, and great modeler. His dioramas and models were award winning, and his craftsmanship was amazing.

My best personal remembrance was sitting next to him at the GSL awards ceremony when my Sterling Race Truck was selected for the "Gerald Wingrove Scratchbuilding award". He looked over at me right after the announcement, and I had a very shocked looked on my face. He told me later, that he thought I was having a heart attack, and he'd have to administer CPR. As a retired CHP officer, he knew how to do this well!
I will miss him. Rest in peace John.

Sad news. I remember messaging John in the distant past. We were both ex-cops on different sides of the ocean. RIP John.