eelman
09-27-2007, 07:42 AM
Back in 1986 I was looking for a dog that would not only be an awesome waterfowl retriever but also a companion and friend. I found what I was looking for at a place called “Royal Hunt Kennels” in Norton Ma. The lady who ran the place, Told me she had the perfect Lab for me. I raced up there and spent time with the dog and fell in love, I also got to know the kennel owner’s well and became friends. Once they saw my lifestyle and how much I loved the outdoors Muriel suggested I call a guy named John Haberek, John she said, had just moved to RI and did not know many people here and she thought we would hit it off as friends. We bonded immediately and spent a lot of time together training the dogs and hunting the cornfields in Matunuck, RI for geese and the salt marshes for ducks…It was a great time and John and I hunted every weekend for the better part of 11 years, we also spent a lot of time at Adeville east farm in Smithfield working out our dogs retrieving pheasants for the high paying clientele that would come there for a British style driven hunt. We also fished together and spent countless hours at Watch Hill Light, John loved the place! I also liked it there but after awhile it was just too crowded for my liking and I stopped going there. Anyway throughout those years our families became close, John would come over to my parents house often just to relax and talk to my dad who always made john laugh and feel right at home, often times Little John as his dad called him would come along also, John and Jess spent more than one holiday with us also and Christmas eve was always fun along with new years etc..It was a close friendship. The other thing John and I loved was the opening day of Trout season here in RI, Every year we would stake our claim at Carolina trout pond , back our pickup trucks together and camp out! Grilling awesome food and having so many laughs it just was a great time, Johns son was always with us also.
In the early 90s John and I would do the Dog retrieving demonstrations at all the sportsman shows, we would rent a room for the event and had some great times, and many Laughs were had in those hotel rooms at the end of the day! John acually brokered what was to become a two year relationship I had with one of Al Gags girls, Kelly Greenwood,I am sure you all know her, She still works for gags to this day on and off! Of course it didnt last and I took a good ribbing from everyone including john at the time, he would say "you dont want to hunt today"? "Your spending to much time with her" etc...It was funny because he is the one that fixed us up! But after all was said and done, I got it out of my system and went back to what I truely loved, I would say to John however, "Look at her, wouldent you want to spend time with her instead of sitting in a cold duck blind at 3am"? He said, ya bill you have a good point!
John and I both had similar injuries I had two surgeries to correct my back, when we were both down in pain with our bad backs! We would discuss of all things cooking! John loved good food, and especially enjoyed my mothers cooking! John and I would have little inside contests as to who could make the best chili! We both loved chili! So in the winter I would often head over to his house to sample his latest offering, let me just say John made awesome chili, and we had many laughs over the gas we would both have for the next week! Real good times, real good!
Once my dog died in 1997 I lost the drive to hunt anymore, I also wanted to concentrate more on fishing, seeing as I was getting married It was also a good idea to chose one sport over the other or I would never be home. John was at my wedding and more than once I would look at him and had all I could to do to keep from laughing while I was up there getting hitched. John had a fantastic sense of humor as many of you know! After that we began to slowly drift apart, I would see john a lot at Quonny and we had some good times there it is also at that time that I introduced my new brother in law “John R” To the habs man, but once I gave up on that place it was less and less, it was about that time that john was devoting much of his time building and perfecting his plugs! He also new I didn’t fish plugs much if at all and so I never really got involved in that aspect of his life, John went on to form other friendships and a little later met many of you here and left a lasting impression! John and I spoke from time to time just to keep in touch and like many of you here the first thing out of his mouth was always “How are you and the wife” “How is your mom and dad” While John could be tough at times he really did have a heart of gold, John never forgot anyone and always cared about the people and friends in his life. John and I recently started talking much more this summer, he was much exited about his new dog and was getting back into training and hunting, he also told me how he had never felt better. When the fishing was so good this past spring John suggested we get together, it never happened and I will regret that for the rest of my life but then again, no one knows what lies in store for us and I could have never predicted a tragedy such as this, I guess from here on out I will do the things I would normally put off because life is to short and to precious.
Yesterday was extremely hard for me, seeing his son as a fine young man now made me proud, I spent lots of time with him when he was very young, I would go over johns house after Christmas day just to play with all the cool toys that they got little john, I think I liked them better than he did!
Many people don’t know the friendship we had, it was before all this internet stuff etc but it was a close one, and I wanted to share it here with all of you, there is more but it would take to much space to write it all!
Rest in peace now John, We will meet again! Thank you for your friendship and a lifetime of countless memories. Your friend. Bill
As a footnote, I regret that I was unable to make the funeral today, It just could not happen as I have my daughter and Have to take her to a doctors appointment today at 11am..I am so sorry I could not be there.
In the early 90s John and I would do the Dog retrieving demonstrations at all the sportsman shows, we would rent a room for the event and had some great times, and many Laughs were had in those hotel rooms at the end of the day! John acually brokered what was to become a two year relationship I had with one of Al Gags girls, Kelly Greenwood,I am sure you all know her, She still works for gags to this day on and off! Of course it didnt last and I took a good ribbing from everyone including john at the time, he would say "you dont want to hunt today"? "Your spending to much time with her" etc...It was funny because he is the one that fixed us up! But after all was said and done, I got it out of my system and went back to what I truely loved, I would say to John however, "Look at her, wouldent you want to spend time with her instead of sitting in a cold duck blind at 3am"? He said, ya bill you have a good point!
John and I both had similar injuries I had two surgeries to correct my back, when we were both down in pain with our bad backs! We would discuss of all things cooking! John loved good food, and especially enjoyed my mothers cooking! John and I would have little inside contests as to who could make the best chili! We both loved chili! So in the winter I would often head over to his house to sample his latest offering, let me just say John made awesome chili, and we had many laughs over the gas we would both have for the next week! Real good times, real good!
Once my dog died in 1997 I lost the drive to hunt anymore, I also wanted to concentrate more on fishing, seeing as I was getting married It was also a good idea to chose one sport over the other or I would never be home. John was at my wedding and more than once I would look at him and had all I could to do to keep from laughing while I was up there getting hitched. John had a fantastic sense of humor as many of you know! After that we began to slowly drift apart, I would see john a lot at Quonny and we had some good times there it is also at that time that I introduced my new brother in law “John R” To the habs man, but once I gave up on that place it was less and less, it was about that time that john was devoting much of his time building and perfecting his plugs! He also new I didn’t fish plugs much if at all and so I never really got involved in that aspect of his life, John went on to form other friendships and a little later met many of you here and left a lasting impression! John and I spoke from time to time just to keep in touch and like many of you here the first thing out of his mouth was always “How are you and the wife” “How is your mom and dad” While John could be tough at times he really did have a heart of gold, John never forgot anyone and always cared about the people and friends in his life. John and I recently started talking much more this summer, he was much exited about his new dog and was getting back into training and hunting, he also told me how he had never felt better. When the fishing was so good this past spring John suggested we get together, it never happened and I will regret that for the rest of my life but then again, no one knows what lies in store for us and I could have never predicted a tragedy such as this, I guess from here on out I will do the things I would normally put off because life is to short and to precious.
Yesterday was extremely hard for me, seeing his son as a fine young man now made me proud, I spent lots of time with him when he was very young, I would go over johns house after Christmas day just to play with all the cool toys that they got little john, I think I liked them better than he did!
Many people don’t know the friendship we had, it was before all this internet stuff etc but it was a close one, and I wanted to share it here with all of you, there is more but it would take to much space to write it all!
Rest in peace now John, We will meet again! Thank you for your friendship and a lifetime of countless memories. Your friend. Bill
As a footnote, I regret that I was unable to make the funeral today, It just could not happen as I have my daughter and Have to take her to a doctors appointment today at 11am..I am so sorry I could not be there.