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    Obituary For John O. Houchins From Tom Archer Archived Message

    Posted by Jent P Mitchell III on March 12, 2014, 1:00 pm, in reply to "Re: 16 gauge LCS hammergun at Poulin Auction "

    Posted by Tom Archer on May 5, 2008, 4:26 pm, in reply to "John O. Houchins Obituary"
    97.81.74.199

    To say that I was stunned to learn of John's passing would be an understatement; and truly we all remain shocked. This sad news gave me pause to reflect on the brief times I was privileged to enjoy fellowship with John; at the same time, realizing that our paths would most likely have never crossed save for our mutual admiration of the Smith gun. I first "met" John about 5 years ago when he called one evening to talk about an LC Smith book he was researching. We must have talked two hours that first meeting, as it seems collectors with common interests never seem to reach a suitable stopping point. We enjoyed many more phone conversations thereafter, during which times I provided as much limited assistance as possible regarding Hunter Arms information I had obtained, Smith collectors I knew, examples of particular guns, and whatever else I thought might be helpful. John was highly motivated to complete his book; and in one of our conversations I learned why, seems John was battling a form of leukemia and was concerned that his health might not allow him to see this project to final completion. Fortunately, treatment put his cancer into remission, the book was completed (with invaluable assitance from LCSCA Director Jim Stubendieck), and an American publishing company ultimately secured at a realistic cost. As regards book publishing costs, John's book could have been available much earlier if John had only agreed to employ a foreign printing company. But John was a true American patriot and took a hard line at that suggestion. In John's opinion any book about a true blue-blooded American double gun should be printed in the good ole USA! Findng a US printing company was never a problem; but finding a US printing company that could print a large book at a cost that would allow the book to be sold at a price most collectors could afford was a real challenge! And although I can't state this for a fact, John had me convinced that his book would never be in print had he been forced to subcontract that job to a company in China. John was a great patriot and loved this country with the same kind of passion he loved and enjoyed his Smith guns. And wheather I agreed with John or not (and sometimes I didn't), he was always tons of fun to "hang with". John was witty, he was articulate; and always kept me laughting with some of the most amazing and funny stories I've ever heard. John was also a walking encyclopedia of southern humor and expressions. This was another great side of John that I, as a southerner, always appreciated; for although I always understood the meaning of those unique expressions, they often left his peers from those "foreign" areas of the country outside the south wondering, "what did he just say?".

    I last visited with John this past July when he and I spent a Sunday afternoon in his home talking Smith guns, the Southern Side x Side, and the growth and future of the LCSCA. John was passionate about the LCSCA, and he was a great promoter of this fine organization. As Smith collectors we are humbled by his personal dedication to preserving the Smith gun legacy into perpetuity; and I am personally forever reminded of those efforts by my copy of "The Legend Lives", which enjoys a permanent resting place on my desk.

    Always at times such at this, we are once again reminded of the uncertainty of life, of our own inevitable mortality; and of the tragic loss of a man who represented so many things to all those who knew him. As I reflect on John's passing, I am reminded of a passage from the New Testament Book of James whereby the author says this about the brevity of human life, "life is as a vapor that appeareth for a short time; then vanisheth away". I believe John lived his life to the fullest extent possible, and although none of us can ever know how our lives may impact the lives of others; John left you and me, as members of the LCSCA, an invaluable legacy that will forever be enjoyed and appreciated by us, as well as by generations of Smith collectors yet to come.

    John was one of the most unique and personable individuals I have ever met; and for someone to have left such a lasting impression on someone like me with whom he had limited association, I can only imagine how he much have impacted those closest to him. As family members, friends, and associates of John adjust to his unexpected and sudden loss; let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers. But let us also be thankful for the opportunities we had to enjoy John's friendship, and for the lasting memories created therefrom. John, my friend, thanks again for taking the time to share a small portion of your life with mine; may you rest in peace.

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