A friend just called me to let me know. John taught me a lot about guns. I will miss him a great deal. I'll post more info as I find stuff out.

OWD

This is sad news. May he rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers for the family.

Here's to the foolishness of April 1! RIP John.

jack

John was a gentleman and a doublegun scholar. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Always found John to be a gracious, kind & insightful person, oft introspective; numerous conversations in times past, spectrum of subjects well outside the norms of public banter; none recently and I genuinely regret that. I consider him one of the original good guys here and he was most assuredly that.

God speed, my friend.

I am saddened beyond words to hear of this. John gave generously of himself, on the board and off, to others, His passing diminishes this board and the lives of all who knew him.

I would think no finer tribute could be paid him than to run his April Fool joke thread about Shep and his found guns. If anyone has it seeing it again would bring back many memories of this wonderful man and his brilliant sense of humor.

I pray God has welcomed him home, his suffering has ended and he's at peace.

One of the few guys on this board that I have spoken with personally, and a wonderful gentleman. I have missed his posts and will miss his presence on the board. May God bless him and his family.

I have fond memories of Mr. Mann. He tried to nix me from ole' board couple of times for bad behavior. He was good ole' Catholic boy from South Carolina. May his soul rest in peace. Great guy all way around I will surely miss him.

According to the 'user list' he hasn't been on the forum since early Spring. He was one of our Best and his participation has been and will be from here on sorely missed. God Speed, Sir...Geo

A most distinguished gentleman and often the voice of reason. May he find lots of mint Lindners where he's headed.

Sorry to hear he is gone. Some of his correspondence is part of my permanent Lindner research file. I never could get John to send me pictures of his Lindner single barrel with safety.

Was he ill or was thus sudden. Best wishes to his family.
T

I feel a great loss, not only myself but also to this board. What a gentleman! Another reminder this life is but a fleeting breeze.....God speed!

Bloody shame. A civilized man. Good, generous.

Dang. What a shame. I haven't talk to Mr. Mann in a long time, we used to exchange emails quite often and I even bought a few guns from him....I once posted a question on here concerning a single barrel trap gun for my little cousin who wanted to start shooting.....out of nowhere he offered to give her one of his coveted single barrel trap Lindners. This was a special gun, built for a teenage shooter. And when I mean give....I mean all I had to pay was the shipping...John just wanted to make the little girl happy. I even offered to buy the gun from him, but he declined, he didn't want the money, he wanted to bring happiness. I did not take him up on his offer but repeatedly told him what a gracious and giving man he was. I meant every word of it too. Rest in Peace John...God, you got a good one up there, but you probably knew that already.

Dustin

Always the gentleman..... During that April 1st prank of John's I posted this. I think it fitting that I post it again, this time for him.

The Fisherman
W.B. Yeats
1919
From The Wild Swans at Coole.

ALTHOUGH I can see him still,
The freckled man who goes
To a grey place on a hill
In grey Connemara clothes
At dawn to cast his flies,
It’s long since I began
To call up to the eyes
This wise and simple man.
All day I’d looked in the face
What I had hoped ’twould be
To write for my own race
And the reality;
The living men that I hate,
The dead man that I loved,
The craven man in his seat,
The insolent unreproved,
And no knave brought to book
Who has won a drunken cheer,
The witty man and his joke
Aimed at the commonest ear,
The clever man who cries
The catch-cries of the clown,
The beating down of the wise
And great Art beaten down.

Maybe a twelvemonth since
Suddenly I began,
In scorn of this audience,
Imagining a man
And his sun-freckled face,
And grey Connemara cloth,
Climbing up to a place
Where stone is dark under froth,
And the down turn of his wrist
When the flies drop in the stream:
A man who does not exist,
A man who is but a dream;
And cried, ‘Before I am old
I shall have written him one
Poem maybe as cold
And passionate as the dawn.’

Pete

Very sad news. John's research on Lindners, published in DGJ, helped me significantly when I finally got around to buying one. And he was also more than willing to answer my questions. RIP, John.

I will miss him, we shared a few Emails ,,bless him
I;m curious to know if anyone has a pic of John they could post,
I was in Kittery trading post a few years ago and saw a guy who looked like I though John might look like, but I didn't ask his name
Thin, not to tall, longish hair??? I'd love to see a pic
He was a nice bloke
franc

Sad news. John was a good man. I will miss him.

Rest in peace John.

tunes

I have missed John here since he slowed down on making posts a few years ago. Now unfortunately he will be missing for good.

When I first found this site several years ago. John was a frequent poster that really helped me get hooked on checking-in here everyday. I had the great pleasure of visiting with him on the phone one time when I bought a Fox from him that he advertized for sale here. That fox is still sitting in the safe and I'll make sure it goes hunting this fall in his memory.

John I say thanks to you! You will be missed by many, myself included!!

Oh, that is tough news to hear. Around the middle of the last decade for a couple years running strong Mr John Mann taught, intelligently commented and generally enlivened this board so much visiting here was an exercise in joy. Along with Dr Oscar Gaddy and Bill Wise doublegunshop.com was THE place for a first-rate education on doubleguns. Sad to see men of this ilk pass away, leaving tremendous holes in the atmosphere of civility in their wake. Godspeed, John.

Goodbye, John, Goodbye.

Sad news

John was my friend! He will be missed. Bobby

That's terrible news. What an incredibly talented man. He will be greatly missed. God bless him and his family.

Very sad to hear this. God bless him and his family.

-Jerry

Sad news. He was a true treasure and he added a lot to the board when he was active. He will be missed and I will say a prayer for him.

We are getting a heck of a list great people who are no longer with us. His name will be added to my personal list of those who we have lost that I will miss. I am sure you have your own list. Mine includes Bill Wise, Oscar, Klunkmiester and now John.

John was kind, thoughtful and generous. A rare man. He will be missed.

As the years pass,we lose so many of the "Good-Ones".Its getting harder to stand at the work-bench and not think of all the "Missing in Action"....John Mann.."One of the Old School" I really enjoyed his Posts over the years. Condolences from the "Dirty Hands Brigade".....Trevallion.

I was wondering about John as It had been a long time since I'd seen him post. I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Rest in peace, John.

I, too, will miss John and his kind way. I had so hoped that one day he might come back down South for a visit to South Carolina and join me on a dove field. He once told me, in a saddened tone, that "a Southern man shouldn't have to die in such a cold, lonely place" as where he then lived. It saddens me to remember that. I'm glad his departure was in warm weather.

SRH

John will be missed and his name will always be mentioned along with Oscar, Bill, and Russ (Klunk), he's in good company. Condolences to his family...

I just checked over on the not board and John last posted on March 11th when he said he'd been hospitalized for an illness.

Jim not to long ago and now John has left us. We have lost but we are better because we had the chance to learn from them before they passed.
May God bless their hearts.

Sorry to hear this, Condolences to his family.

Its huge lost for all double gun community...
My condolences to family.

A great lost to all of SxS lovers. My condolences to the family. He'll be greatly missed by all of us.

I've been away from the board for a couple of days so I come to this news late. I'm especially saddened to hear of John's death because we shared the same last name. John and I had a few phone conversations and shared out love for Lindner Dalys and also determined that we were. in all probability, distant cousins. I also want to express my condolences to the family.

John was a good man, and a person of much knowledge of older German guns. We had several good conversations about Dalys. Talked about maybe buying and or selling from each other's collection, but we never actually did. He certainly will be missed.

I exchanged several e-mails with John over the last few years and had the pleasure of speaking with him on a couple of occasions. John was a unique individual, one that easily become a "best friend" to anyone inclined to accept such an honor. I last heard from him just a few weeks (or has it been months??) past and he said he might be off the net for a while during some pesky little condition he had. I hope his family is doing well. I will miss him and will always have fond memories of John and the other "greats" whose names have already been mentioned. Above all, I am confident that I know where John is right now. I am sure he has found peace.

I had missed John for quite a while now, since not seeing him post. I will surely miss him much longer.

Shocking. He just finished a nice stock job and all seemed to be going well. My condolences.

John definitely had a way with words that will be missed,sorry to hear the news, condolences to his family.

Craig Havener

I hope you were not referring to me! I am quite well and feeling pretty frisky to quite honest.


Doug (the other) Mann

I well remember John's home grown version of the Henhouse gun, a leg pulling, hilarious yarn if ever there was one.

Be safe on your journey old friend of the gun.

My condolences to the family.

Yes TC, that was a real Corker... n It went on for ages,,,Tolly the Sheppard, right?
franc
I'd love to see a pic of John
Cheers all

Haven't been here for some time and just saw the news of John's passing. What a tremendous loss to us all! He will be missed.

Ed

"Sunset and Evening Star
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep,
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark.

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
the flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.".....Alfred Lord Tennyson

Sleep Well John........George

About 6 years back I got this silly idea in my head that I really liked nice side by sides. I didn't know anyone with a nice gun, and even now, I'm not sure how I decided I liked them so much, but very shortly I found myself here. After starting to post, I got a nice message from John, or Pop as many younger people knew him. I had never met him, never spoken with him before, but was instantly comfortable with him. He had a warmth about him that can't be put into words. The quintessential Southern Grandfather, the kind of guy that you'd like to sit on the porch with and have him tell you all about life, love and funny times.

We grew very close, and I would make regular trips up to NH to see him, and visit. Walking into Kittery with him was always a treat, as the gentlemen that worked there knew John, and always had questions about the guns they were trying to sell. He would take some time to go over a gun, then hand it to me and ask me what I thought of it, always pointing out the details I missed, teaching me at every turn.

One time we were in Kittery looking at a new gun they had, it was a beautiful damascus barreled gun. John was turning it over in his hands, smiling and admiring the piece. Another shopper came over to John and I and said, "Mister, you can't shoot that gun, those barrels are damascus steel and are liable to blow up right in your face!" I bit my lip to choke back a laugh, but John didn't miss a beat. He looked utterly incredulous, as if he had never heard such a thing before. With great care, he handed the gun back to one of the amused employees, looking for all the world like he thought the gun was going to blow up right then and there. With the gun safely back on the rack, John thanked the man profusely for educating him, and, probably, for saving his life. When the man walked away, John shot me a wink and made a comment about getting rid of the competition and saving the damascus barreled guns for us.

John was a Renaissance Man. He could talk about fine guns all day, but then move on to Antiques or decoys, politics or literature. As I moved through college we would exchange emails regularly, covering topics far away from the world of doubles. He was an extremely wise man, and his words of advice never led me astray.

A more generous man I have not, and will not, know. After only meeting me a few times, he heard that I was going to shoot some clays with friends. His face brightened, it seemed some of his shooting irons could use a workout, and he felt I was the man to do so. He promptly handed me $10,000+ worth of guns, demanded I have fun, and told me to return them whenever. I was, and still am, shocked by that gesture.

He had a habit of going dark when he wasn't doing well, he didn't want anyone's pity and certainly didn't want to feel like he was a bother. Sadly I never got to say goodbye, or thank him for being such a formative individual in my life.



John, you will be most sorely missed. You were a scholar, a gentleman, and an example to us all. Over time you were a lot like the grandfather I didn't have the pleasure of having. I learned a helluva lot from you, and I'll do my best to pass it on the knowledge, but more than that your warmth and generosity, on to the following generations.


May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

If anyone has the service details, please email me, I'd like to pay my respects. A.Storm.Howe@gmail.com

Such sad news. I exchanged emails with him when my eldest son left for Boston
several years ago and he was generous in offering to take him shooting and
getting him to meet some of his shooting friends in the area.

Franc, I found this photo in my old archives (have it since May 2006) taken at a
Vintager's Cup (if by error it is not John, anyone who met him please let me know):



He will be sadly missed.

JC

It's probably John. I recognize the Lindner single with safety he described to me many times but I never got to see.

That is John in the picture JayCee.I met him twice,and exchanged emails for years.
Very sad to hear he has passed, truly a gentleman and will be missed.

Very sorry to hear this news.

StormsGSP:

That was an awesome post and tribute.

Storm.....all of us have a few amazing mentors in our lives. These folks are rare, invaluable and become a part of us. All my mentors are gone now but they still speak to me daily.....not exactly in words, but incredibly, they influence me all the time. From your tribute I can tell that John Mann was one of those special mentors to you. You are a lucky man to have been able to share that much time and experience with him. We can all count ourselves lucky to have come into contact with John and our lives are richer for it.

A gentle soul.

Sorry to hear of it. John was never rude and always in good humor; an asset to the board.

Dave, thank you for the confirmation,

Best,

JC

I made the mistake several years ago of getting John and Doug Mann mixed up when I needed some stockwork done. Anyway I emailed John by mistake and I sure wish I would have kept his response as it was hilarious. One of the things he stated was that any quote he provided would incur a gross misuse of virgin Walnut by someone with less than amateur woodworking status.
Jim

Since you fellows want to talk about my friend, John Mann, tell me where the Daly/Lindner single barrel WITH safety is today. I told John that I was interested in pictures, but I was really interested in buying the gun. He knew that, but never got back to me.

Another one gone - what a year!

I'm raising a glass to our friend Mr Mann (really, I am - Chardonnay, nicely chilled).

Just got back from viewing Holt's and Gavin Gardiner's. Knee deep in guns. Ran into Cyril Adams and a good few other top people.

We take one another for granted but how wonderful that we all all bound by a common interest. Brothers indeed. Here's to all of you still living - we'll miss you all when you are gone.

I was just thinking about him (and Oscar Gaddy as well) the other day when looking at the Bill Wise posting.

Another true gentleman who knew what he was talking about, in spades. I am grateful for the gunning education I got from those three men.

My my, how sad it is to see such a man pass into the night.

John, you are still and forever missed.

Away from the board last summer when this news was posted, I've just now read these expressions of loss and thoughtful tributes to John. Though I never personally corresponded with John, I too respected his knowledge and generosity ... and admired his trust and his courage in opening his heart to us.

Jay

A delight to listen to and learn from.
I met John at Addieville years ago and was impressed by the crowd that gathered round him. I'm glad I had the opportunity to know him. We all are diminished by his passing. RIP John.

Moved to Silenced Doubles forum 3/1/12