John AC4CA passed away

 It was a sad news. John AC4CA was dead.

This morning, without any reason, I have remembered of Alan AC2K and Glen NN6T, both I have lost last year. They have been good friends of mine for a long time. Respectable people.

Facebook reminded me of a post by Jack KN7Y a couple of years ago, who told there that he had pleasantly heard me working with Alan. Sharing it, I told how much I miss him as well as Glen. Lee K5LY gave me a comment telling Alan used to be an FOC sponsor for him and Glen let him to join CWops. 

I have asked Lee how John AC4CA and the couple N3BB were doing. In the reply, Lee let me know of John's passing. It was Feb 12th as he said.

I have known John quite well especially for the past several years. My log told me we had had QSOs for 46 times since 2013. He has had a rare malignancy of neuroendocrine tumor and has been under treatment at MD Anderson in Houston. He has visited there at certain interval of few months. His wife Jackie has had Alzheimers for years, which urged her to be in a facility for the last several years. He should be lonely at home but enjoyed ham radio so much. It was his joy to go around his home and to make bird watching with the company. 

What made our QSOs unforgettable and worth spending time together was that he loved music. Especially Chopin. He often told me he had practised his pieces by himself. Whenever I told of the work impressive to me, he always tried to listen to them. Sharing the same interests in music with him was a special reward for me.

Last night, I was listening to the Well Tempered Klavier of Bach played by Svistolav Richter. Listening to it as a nourishing material to my mind, I thought being able to listen and experience such great works is a kind of blessing to me. I should not take it granted to be able to do so. Life is limited in time.

I haven't known of John in his detailed life history but sure found a friendship of soulful relationship. Every QSO with him was so impressive that I had written about him in my Japanese blog for a few times. Such posts told me I had been touched by such QSOs in real depth.

I remembered of his last mail given to me last fall, which told me he would revisit MD Anderson soon and try another treatment protocol since the present one turned out not so effective as before. He didn't sound very positive. Worrying about him, 5 days later than his death, I sent an e mail to him. No answer. It was why I asked about him to Lee. If I should have heard of his hardship, I could not do anything of course. Ｍaybe, I could have heard of his murmur in his mind. Too sad I could not do that.

RIP, good friend, John.