Until I join him I will grieve the passing of my friend Robert Johnson. He was a true, unselfish friend. He had the kind of quirky smile that would melt your heart and turn even the staunchest of critics. He loved the out of doors with a passion I seldom experience in others, and lived life like there was no tomorrow.
Well on his aoudad hunt to Texas just a few weeks ago that all came true. He suffered a stroke and went on to hunt in the next world. Robert was only 50.
I feel I owe Robert and all his friends on AR an update. I hope for Robert’s sake there is a happy hunting ground, because if there is Robert will be the happiest person there. Of all my friends I know of no one who derived as much pleasure from the out-of-doors like Robert.
Robert and I were friends. He introduced himself to me because he wanted to go to Cameroun on a self guided hunt. I had a desire to fish the huge kings of the Kenai Peninsula so I accepted a trade and off we went. He accompanied me into a new are that had never been hunted by anyone I know of except the local poachers and honey gatherers. It was situated in the north of Cameroun and I chose an April hunt to try to catch what I hoped were the first of the rains. Well I miscalculated and the rains never came, but the heat did. I remember touching my hand to my black gun barrel and pulling it back sharply because I thought I might have burned it. I remember downing gallons of muddy water that looked just like tea and was the same temperature. It just tasted different.
Poor Robert had come from sighting in his gun at 20 below zero on the Kenai Peninsula in two feet of snow and now we were about 120 above, too hot and dry to even sweat; it just dried on exiting the pores. Robert started to suffer on the second day and I seriously considered pulling out and going home as he lost all he put down out both ends and was in the throes of heat stroke. I later wrote the hunt up for African Hunter, and Robert enjoyed reading about how miserable he looked to others, while he himself was having the time of his life. In between throwing up he would grab a tracker and saunter out and shoot game every time. He was not able to leave his cot for more than a couple of hours, but always managed to come back with game. By the time we were finished he had filled his license and was feeling much better. He had room for one more of the “class A’ animal and he really wanted a roan. He found one the day before we were to leave and put a shot in, but it drifted off a bit or hit a branch and all he found were a few drops of blood. The trackers stayed on the trail until dark and then the next morning we all went back together. We had a deadline of 11:00 in order to make the connections necessary to make our flight out of the country. At 11:00 I called everyone together and told them we were quitting. The trackers and Robert refused, begging for another hour. We were still on the roan, as drops of blood were still being found, so I acquiesced. An hour later the tracker spotted the roan and Robert had his coveted trophy.
Robert was never a rich man. He spent all he could scrounge on hunting and so when we missed our plane he was sick again. We actually heard it take off, but did not make it. Robert just gave me his quirky smile and we re-organized and got a plane the following day. When Robert’s cape came apart at the tannery and he saw it the quirky smile was a lot longer in coming, but it finally did emerge, as life was more than heads on the wall.
Robert has always been good to my family and especially my kids. He has taken special care to make them included whenever we were together. He let my youngest, 12 at the time; get the first caribou on a fly-in trip above the Arctic Circle. He hauled 50 pound bags of dog food up a steep incline to set bear baits for us. Robert had no selfish streak. He was generous to a fault and a wonderful friend to hunt and fish with. With him in camp everyone just did their jobs and enjoyed the hunt. He was the kind of friend all of us long to have and enjoy being with. Robert loved his friends on AR and was “one of us” from the beginning.

Right now I hope he is up there scouting the next side, just like we did in Cameroun. I know he will do it with a joyful heart and a quirky smile.

I will miss him deeply.

Cam Greig
January 2010

Well said-nothing quite matchs good friends!!!

Excellent post. I had no idea. R.I.P.

This is indeed sad news and you have put forth a good tribute. I did not know Robert but he and I corresponded a few times about his Cameroun hunt and it was certainly an adventure from his point of view no doubt.

Prayers to his family and friends.

George

Cam, your eulogy for Robert is a great and moving tribute to your friend.

I didn't know Robert but I have enjoyed and profited from his many posts here on AR - and I particularly enjoyed his posts regarding his hunting experiences with you in Cameroon.

My condolences to you, his other friends and family.

"We are diminished...".

You were both lucky to have friends like each other. We were blessed to read about your times together, and saddened to hear about your loss. Please pass our best wishes to his family.

Rich
we also pray for God's grace and healing according to His will for all who need it.

Well said Rich.
+1

Very sorry to hear the bad news. My condolences to his family.

Likewise I had not heard the news. I met Robert in Alaska 4 or 5 years ago while fishing. We hit it off immediately and talked about mutual friends we had both in Alaska and in Africa. It is truly a small world after all. Our paths had crossed 3 or 4 times and we never new it until then. I am sorry to have never hunted with him.

May he rest in peace.

That is a great eulogy for a friend. Best thoughts to you and his family.

-
Locksley,R

Very sad indeed. Prayers sent.

Cam-
Sincerest sympathy to all his friends and family and especially to you.

May Robert rest in peace, he will be missed.

You and your friends family have my sincerest condolences at his loss.

Hopefully all of us will meet together at the next camp over the ridge, without the petty problems we have had on this side.

By Gods Grace go I... Very sorry for the loss. As I just turned 50 it really strikes home. R.I.P

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. Another shining example of why every day is precious, and why we should live life to the fullest. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Wonderful tribute.
My condolences to Robert's friends and family.

My sincerest sympathies and condolences to the family and to you as his close friend.

Better tomorrows.

Very sorry to hear the news. May his soul rest in peace.

My condolences. Life is precious and it sounds as if he lived his life to the fullest!

Regards, D. Nelson

If we could all be remembered as fondly as this. Via con Dios amigo.

As my grandmother said on her deathbed; "We live forever in the memories of the people who love us".

My condolences to you and Robert's other friends and family.

condolences and thanks for taking the time to let us know

Wish I could have vknown him, RIP!

I can only hope that when my time comes I have such a true friend to remember me as you have remembered Robert.

I am sure he is sitting with Selous and Roosevelt telling hunting stories...

I remember talking to him as he was a reference given to me by PH Dirk Rohrmann in Namibia. We had a good conversation and that resulted in me having a great hunt! I hope he lives on in the Happy Hunting Grounds....

We all need to remember that we are not going to be passing this way again so enjoy it while it lasts.

Cam,
I did not know Robert, but I knew someone "like" him - the kind of "friend a friend would like to have" from your description. He left us at 42 and I miss him every day. I can only say it does get easier as time passes.

My condolences to you, and all the others who loved him.

May we all be that kind of friend, and have that kind of friend.

Cam

I was shocked to hear the news. Thanks for letting us know.

Robert packed a lot of adventure into his 50 years. His life will serve as an inspiration to many of us.

I'm really sorry to hear of his passing. I've followed his adventures and I was looking forward to meeting him and hearing his stories as we share the same neck of the woods. Robert seemed like a true adventurer in every sense of the word! I will miss his posts. May God bless and ease the burdon of his family and friends.

Brett

I am heading for Cameroon in a couple of hours ... I promise to have a toast over a campfire later on this week to Robert ... It will be boiled water ... maybe with hot chocolate ... Hopefully he will approve ..

Very sorry to hear that...prayers are on the way.

My condolences and prayers to Robert's family and friends... the AR forums will miss his unique perspectives and insights on hunting opportunities across the international scene.

What a lovely tribute to your friend. My condolences.