A Sad Day for TABS

[tabs]

This morning I got a call from a friend. He said, "Did you hear that Don Henry Brown has passed away?" I said, "No, but I have been meaning to call him to let him know that I have not forgotten him."

So a bit later I gave a call and got his wife, and sure enough Don Henry has passed on at 80. He was a man that I met at the end of 2004, as I gave him an order for a Custom Gibbs style English 1000 yard Percussion Target rifle. Over the next 4 years I would give him a calll to see the progress on my rifle and tell him that I was in no hurry as I was buying spoons like a mad dog or an Englishman. Don would always be gracious as he had more work than what he knew what to do with. Don Henry has built and sold parts kits for his rifles around the world.

The upshot is that I got to know Don fairly well, he was a man that truly didn't have a mean bone in his body and would spend an hour or 2 just talking on the phone. Don told me that as a boy he liked to draw and I figured that his rifle making was just a continuation of his artisitc talent. He took great care in his rifles, and it showed in the finished product.

Somewhere along the line I got the feeling that the project of building this rifle would be his swan song. That it kept him going, he had told me that this probably would be his last custom rifle as he didn't have the energy anymore. Finally early last summer Don told me that we had better finish it up. I agreed with him. Ironically at the very same time as he finsihed my rifle in September he had a blood clot in his leg and wound up in the hospital for several weeks with several more in a rehab joint. The last time I talked to him was in December and he was feeling better and starting to work in his shop again.

His wife told me that after the blood clot in the leg it was one problem after another and finally he wound up in the hospital again and on February 22, 2009 my friend passed away. I will miss his happy voice saying, "How are you TABS."

[tabs]

Don told me this was rifle was No. 79 and that it was his age, but that he just had a birthday and turned 80.

[Tobra]

Pretty spoon, your tale makes me think about the Swede that made my golf clubs

[911Rob]

Sorry for your loss Tabs

[livi]

Sorry, Tabs.

[KFC911]

My condolences tabs. Losing a good friend is like losing one of our beloved dogs...it sucks, but "the journey is/was the prize". He left a piece of himself with you, "a good friend"...be well.

[Jeff Higgins]

He left you a fine spoon to remember him by, tabs. Was this the gentleman from Yakima?

[tabs]

Yes he was from Yakima, WA.

Don told me more then once that for the hours he put into building a rifle he would be paid less than minium wages.

When I ordered the rifle from him, I requested a nice piece of wood for the rifle. When he got to the stage where it needed engraving he said that it was so nice that it needed a bit more engraving then planned for. So I OKed that, and it cost a bit extra. Don probably did not pass on the entire cost of the extra engraving onto me.

It is just hard to imagine the man is gone and that his shop is still now.

[3.2 CAB]

Beautiful piece of work!! Sad to loose a fine craftsman like that. Tony.

[targa911S]

Sorry for the loss Tabs, but you will always have that fine piece of work as a reminder of your friend.

[911Freak]

Beautiful piece of artwork right there...


Condolences Tabs

[targa911S]

Sad to think that real master gunmakers are replaced by hacks like me. But we all get to move up one now.

[slakjaw]

I am sorry Tabdul, that truly sucks!

[dtw]

That is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I am sorry for the loss that you and the spoon connoisseur community have suffered.

[daepp]

He sounds like a true craftsman and a good man. I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm sure that it was good that you got to know him - and good for him too!