John was a remarkable man. Lawyer, judge, legal scholar, father, outdoorsman, New York clubman, bon vivant who hosted scintillating dinner parties, an ethical hunter and elegant shot who loved upland shooting.
A member of a "white shoe" New York law firm, he went South to support the Civil Rights activists and had an enormous impact on the legal cases ensuing. John was an American patrician who stood up for the downtrodden and did so with a high degree of honor, despising bigots and racists and several times putting his life on the line.
He had a splendid sense of humor. As a judge, he wrote a lengthy opinion finding for the defendant in a case where the defendant was sued for calling someone an arsehole in public. John's scholarly opinion filled several pages and concluded that the "plaintiff was, indeed, an arsehole" It is a minor classic.
John was a splendid shot, exhibiting classic shooting form. He owned a dozen or so 21s and actually thought highly of them. He had two fitted with custom English stocks to his measurements, barrels rust blued and they looked magnificent. There were some who decried the "loss of value" to these guns but John shot them very well over over several decades, enjoyed them enormously and was a most dignified Gun in his tweeds and with his splendid restored 21s.
John was also a fly-fisherman and enjoyed the sport enormously. He helped many younger men through the initiation and brought them up to where they could appreciate split cane rods and the finer nuances of the sport.
He lived and died a gentleman.
I lost a friend.
