Posted on 01/22/2016 4:14:32 PM PST by Marcella
JRandomFreeper (Johnny) died at 4:33 pm, January 22, 2016. He was 54 years old, his last birthday, October 13. 2015. He leaves two sisters, one brother, two daughters and five grandchildren.
Johnny had hundreds (thousands?) of Freeper friends. His posts were sought after and were pithy to the max. He was the ultimate prepper, survivor, agriculture plant grower, electronic expert, and trained chef. If you were in trouble, he was the one you would want with you. He could make something useful out of almost nothing, or out of plain air - air is something - nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and water vapor - Johnny could do wonders with those.
He was a Ham Operator by the time he was ten years old. Electronics also were child's play for him. He could read Greek and taught his grandchildren Greek. There is a Baby Grand Piano in his house and he could play it well. His art paintings are spread throughout his house. He was a real genius - a down to earth genius.
He loved this country and gave part of his life for it:
He was in the US Air Force, was a trained chef and fed our Air Force abroad and upon getting out, had a job with a company who had a government military contract dealing with electronic security for the military. Then, on 9-11-2001, the towers fell. The next day he reenlisted in the Air Force.
The Air Force sent him to Alaska and he was the cook/chef for the Air Force there. Most people do not know Alaska is a training area for special forces. They deploy from there where there is an emergency in some part of the world - such as Benghazi (except they were not called on that one).
Then, something happened to the communication equipment from that Alaska base and they were cut off, no communication was happening. Sooo, the cook/chef Johnny, being an electronic expert, asked for permission to work on it and he fixed their communication equipment. He got a special commendation from the Air Force for being able to restore their communication. I have seen his military medals and that commendation bar along with the written commendation.
Here is a post, with additions, I made a few weeks ago on the Gardening and Cooking thread, documenting his fight against cancer and our effort to help him:
"So you know what would happen when we went to see him when this cancer hit last January, 2015, and he was told he would be dead by March:
That January, he had brain surgery twice, was taking radiation every day and that was knocking his resistance down, so we bought new electric heaters for various areas in his house so he could stay warm anywhere in the house and most every trip, besides food (and taking him to grocery store when he was able to walk), we took another bottle of Johnny Walker No 9 as he said he used it to kill pain rather than take more Morphine - yeah, sure, that is why he drank it. :o) He has not lost his humor and he loved to have conversation with Bob as they are both brilliant so they could talk "shop" whatever that was. Johnny was always building something in the house and would ask for Bob's help making whatever – one was a helicopter that took up a good part of the kitchen.
After radiation, chemotherapy began. He would get sick, then he would get better. He had spread sheets documenting every food he ate and how many calories each gave him. Every evening I would get a spread sheet from him documenting his progress. Instead of losing weight due to chemo, he gained weight. He would not give up. One time his Morphine did not come in the mail, so we jumped in the car and took him Hydrocodone pain pills to get pain reliever in him until the Morphine got there.
He also loved ganging up with Bob to verbally attack me because I was just a woman who could not know anything. However, one time they were making something and they could not read the small print on the plans and needed to know what that said. It was the woman, me, who could read the small print so I bashed them over the head with the fact they needed me or they were stuck working on that project. :o)
He also was doing art - numerous paintings that were just Johnny's mind, weird as it was/is. The most original one was the lady's head with a big screw going from one side of her head and coming out the other side. That was actually appropriate since the surgeons had put staples and a screw in his head. There is a full length lady nude from the back and it is absolutely beautiful.
He had a joyous time every time we went and so did we. We took him to the VA clinic twice when his brother could not do it. He walked with a tall natural wood round stick to help him keep his balance. Even those trips were fun, no complaining from Johnny.
On his birthday last fall, we took a carrot cake with his name on it, and a huge bottle of Johnnie Walker No. 9. That bottle was so heavy, I had to use both hands to carry it. He had a great time that day eating cake and explaining his latest project.
I have now told you how it was with Johnny through this long period of fighting cancer."
Addition: MomwithHope suggested Freepers sent him cards/small packages for Christmas and those were sent to my house and I delivered many cards and packages to him and his heart was touched Freepers remembered him.
We were there last week and he knew he was dying and we prayed together.
Johnny has left us and he is with God. Heaven will work better with Johnny there. Marcella
Just now seeing this.
I am weeping. Thank you God for sharing Johnny with us for so long through this great place that Jim has created -- JRF was one of the FReepers I can count on one hand who, over the past almost 14 years I've been here, had a profound influence on straightening me out in wrong thinking, making it right.
Dear God, keep him and hold him and give his family comfort, and THANK YOU so much for letting me share him on this place You helped Jim create, even if only for a little while.
May God comfort you and all who are missing him. We should never forget him and all he taught us.
Thanks for sad but expected news. Thank you for being a Christian sister who cared. He was a special guy. You young folk reading — ditch forever the cancer sticks. Evil problems.
I did a search the other day to see if he’d posted recently and saw his last was 12/09 I believe so had wondered about him. He was one of my favorites, I thought he was much older. God be with you, JRandom. I will miss you here.
RIP, Johnny. Prayers for his family and FRiends.
Yit’gadal v’yit’kadash shmei raba
b’al’ma di v’ra khir’utei
v’yam’likh mal’khutei b’chayeikhon uv’yomeikhon
uv’chayei d’kohl beit yisraeil
ba’agala uviz’man karin v’m’ru
Y’hei sh’mei raba m’varakh l’alam ul’al’mei al’maya
Yit’barakh v’yish’tabach v’yit’pa’ar v’yit’romam v’yit’nasei
v’yit’hadar v’yit’aleh v’yit’halal sh’mei d’kud’sha
l’eila min kol bir’khata v’shirata
toosh’b’chatah v’nechematah, da’ameeran b’al’mah, v’eemru
Y’hei sh’lama raba min sh’maya
v’chayim aleinu v’al kol yisraeil v’m’ru
Oseh shalom bim’romav hu ya’aseh shalom
aleinu v’al kol Yisraeil v’m’ru
RIP, Johnny.
I got to know JR on the ATRW threads and it saddens me to hear of his passing Johnny was a good man . You can go rest now John we got the watch.
Another good one gone. FR is poorer for the loss.
Many condolences to his family, including you as part of his family of choice, Marcella. I had little occasion to speak with him myself, but enjoyed the bits of interplay between JohnnyRandom, yourself & others that I would often encounter while surfing late to threads as usual.
Tough bugger. Sometimes he could get under your skin with smugness, but no question the guy lived the wisdom he so willingly shared. Many belated thanks. :o)
Johnny’s agricultural endeavors will continue through the tobacco seeds he sent last spring, from which I was able to grow a number of plants from, and which provided thousands more seeds. RIP, Johnny. I’ll miss you.
RIPJohnny. You’ve earned it.
no obit yet but there is a tribute page at the funeral home website for those interested.
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/1248367/Dake-John-.php
actually this is a better link.
http://robertsfamilyfuneral.com/book-of-memories/2364415/Dake-John-/view-condolences.php
I always enjoyed his posts. I will miss him. RIP Johnny.
Pinging the Weekly Garden Thread List.
Sad news to all of us who have enjoyed Johnny’s spirited posts during the years. Prayers up for his family and friends.
Indeed. RIP Johnny.
So sorry to hear of his passing.
Prayers and sympathy for his family.
May God give His mercy to Johnny.
Thank you Jim for adding /johnny to the Free Republic Memorial Wall. So many others gone before him.
http://www.freerepublic.com/memorial/memorial.htm
RIP, brother.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.