Loss of a Wonderfeul VRCC Member

[andym]

Dear Fellow VRCC Members

I have not been active on the board since 2015 when I crashed my Valk IS. That being said the great times I had with the very special people in this club and the Valkyrie Owners Association remain near and dear to my heart.

I just want to let those who knew John Horton, know that he passed away a few weeks ago. I went to his memorial mass yesterday in Woodstown, NJ with a very heavy heart. John was a special person. He was caring, funny, warm, loving and kind beyond words. I have to relate a story about him near and dear to me...

Around 2009 I purchased a used 2009 Black Valk IS which was in rough condition. With my limited mechanical skills I struggled to get it running reliably for several months. I scoured the board here for info and finally resorted to posting lots of questions about what to do and how to fix stuff. Well John Horton was the guy who kept answering my questions patiently time and time again. Well to shorten the story, one day my doorbell rings and this big dude is standing in my doorway and introduces himself as John Horton. He says " I know your struggling with these repairs so I decide to come and help". Well John unpacked his tools and spent 3 days working on my Valk with me, a person I never met before. We pulled the manifold off the bike and rebuilt all 6 carbs. Each day he drove from Woodstown, NJ to Jackson, NJ back and forth. We spent 3 days working and bonding, 3 days I will never forget. This was the kind of person John was.........He later went on to teach me so much about shotguns, shotshell reloading and trap, skeet, 5 stand and sporting clays. I cant say how many times I called John for help over the years and always was greeted with a pleasant tone and patient answers. In 2010 John was injured  and suffered with severe back pain the remainder of his life until he recent contracted cancer and passed on. Sadly I never got to ride with John since he was injured shortly after we met, but we did have occasion to shoot some trap, meet for breakfast in the Woodstown Diner and at Mastore's Restaurant in Bordentown, NJ. Sadly most of our time was spent on the telephone.
As we travel the road of life we meet only a few that  touch our lives in a special way and change who we are and make us better people by their example. I will always have a special place in my heart for John and another Valk member by the name of Dan Stocker who also passed too young. Sadly they never met but would have been wonderful friends due to their common generaous and loving natures.
Those of you who knew John please say a prayer that he is in the arms of our loving Lord and creator and say a prayer for his wife Denise who Im sure has a huge void in her heart from the loss of this wonderful man.
God Bless you all and ride safe 

[Oss]

Andy that was a wonderful tribute

I do not remember if I met John on any of our rides in those days but I sure remember you and of course
Dan Stocker  and how he held the VOAi together after the former Pres debacle in PA

Sounds like they were cut from the same cloth  I think Dan passed in 2006

Did you retire when you moved to Delaware?

[Challenger]

Thank you for letting us know. I remember John and Dan. Both very personable men. Sorry to say, but we are losing friends at an alrming rate lately.  Ride safe Brothers.

[~ Timbrwolf]

We were getting ready to do the VRCC Ride In, in Colorado when I got a message from John. He introduced himself and told me that even though we didnt know each other we apparently went to the same High School and graduated the same year. He went on to say that he rides a Valk and belongs to the Club and a friend of his owns a Condo on the side of a mountain where he and his wife like to ski, and would Faith and I like to spend the week of the ride in there for free ?


To say the least I was amazed at his generosity and eagerly said yes ! When we got there I was having problems with my bike as I had Two Brother pipes and my engine wasnt happy with the high altitudes. The morning after getting there, John took me down to the garage and showed me how to adjust my carbs so they wouldnt pop anymore. He then told me to take her for a ride and she was back in all her glory. We spent the week hanging out in this beautiful condo complete with jacuzzi and we couldnt thank John and his wife enough. Denise reached out to Faith last week and told us of Johns passing.


All I can say is its a sad day indeed to lose someone of Johns caliper and ....God Bless him and his wife..

[Valkorado]

We were getting ready to do the VRCC Ride In, in Colorado when I got a message from John. He introduced himself and told me that even though we didnt know each other we apparently went to the same High School and graduated the same year. He went on to say that he rides a Valk and belongs to the Club and a friend of his owns a Condo on the side of a mountain where he and his wife like to ski, and would Faith and I like to spend the week of the ride in there for free ?


To say the least I was amazed at his generosity and eagerly said yes ! When we got there I was having problems with my bike as I had Two Brother pipes and my engine wasnt happy with the high altitudes. The morning after getting there, John took me down to the garage and showed me how to adjust my carbs so they wouldnt pop anymore. He then told me to take her for a ride and she was back in all her glory. We spent the week hanging out in this beautiful condo complete with jacuzzi and we couldnt thank John and his wife enough. Denise reached out to Faith last week and told us of Johns passing.


All I can say is its a sad day indeed to lose someone of Johns caliper and ....God Bless him and his wife..

   Really great story!  Thanks for sharing this (OP also).  May he rest in peace.

[andym]

Andy that was a wonderful tribute

I do not remember if I met John on any of our rides in those days but I sure remember you and of course
Dan Stocker  and how he held the VOAi together after the former Pres debacle in PA

Sounds like they were cut from the same cloth  I think Dan passed in 2006

Did you retire when you moved to Delaware?

Yes in 2019 moved to Middletown De and love it here . Crashed my interstate in 2015 and totaled it so Im relegated to riding a Spyder as a compromise as dictated by the boss . The days of the Valkyrie and the clubs were a wonderful part of my life filled with wonderful people but all good things must come to an end , such is life . Now I go bowling, trap shooting (taught by John), fishing and teach part time at local votech. I have reconnected with my faith and also volunteer periodically at a local food kitchen. I still miss Sunday motorcycle rides and breakfast with Dan Stocker and company :-(

[andym]

We were getting ready to do the VRCC Ride In, in Colorado when I got a message from John. He introduced himself and told me that even though we didnt know each other we apparently went to the same High School and graduated the same year. He went on to say that he rides a Valk and belongs to the Club and a friend of his owns a Condo on the side of a mountain where he and his wife like to ski, and would Faith and I like to spend the week of the ride in there for free ?


To say the least I was amazed at his generosity and eagerly said yes ! When we got there I was having problems with my bike as I had Two Brother pipes and my engine wasnt happy with the high altitudes. The morning after getting there, John took me down to the garage and showed me how to adjust my carbs so they wouldnt pop anymore. He then told me to take her for a ride and she was back in all her glory. We spent the week hanging out in this beautiful condo complete with jacuzzi and we couldnt thank John and his wife enough. Denise reached out to Faith last week and told us of Johns passing.


All I can say is its a sad day indeed to lose someone of Johns caliper and ....God Bless him and his wife..

John always had a smile, a nice word, he was a born teacher and loved to help others. He was caring, funny, generous and more kind than anyone I ever met. I have reconnected with my faith but still sometimes have doubts about God's plan when I see such a good man as John spend so much of his later life in constant pain after his accident in 2010. If I live a better life, maybe I will see him again. I have no doubt that if there is a heaven John is up there right now with God  and if he didnt get in well I dont stand a chance of getting in because Im not as giving as he was for sure :-)

[Jack B]

Yes, John was a great guy. He lived in Wisconsin for a few years working at the nuclear plant. Unfortunately, he moved to New Jersey (he didn’t like the weather here) and shortly afterwards he hurt his back and never really could ride again for those of you that don’t know him. He drove a yellow and white Valkyrie with the nine ball painted on the back. I know he. went to a couple early Inzanes. His handle was 9Ball