This has not been a good week for me. Please let me explain… This past Wednesday, June 26, 2013, I lost my best friend John Culbreath. I first met John in 1966 as I was running for re election to the Florida House of Representatives. He was running also for a new seat from Hernando County and me from Hillsborough. Our district included all of Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties. This new district was the results of re appropriationment by the State Supreme Court. The court had ruled earlier we were a mal appropriation legislature. We both won and remained good friends for the next 47 years. We served together for 12 years and shared an apartment in Tallahassee for several of those legislative sessions. John played football for the University of Georiga where he graduated with a degree in Agriculture. John was truly a man among men. He reminded every one of John Wayne, the way he walked, talked and carried himself in general. The only difference, he was not acting he was the real deal. He was a man of character, trust and commitment. Once he gave you his word it was as good as gold. John and I shared many wonderful moments in our lives over the years form living together during the legislative sessions to traveling around the State of Florida on Legislative business. He was a true lover of horses and cattle and taught me a lot about farming and the horse business. He was a kind and gentle man. I remember one time when I was visiting him at his home in Monticello we were in his office at the barn and he had an incubator with some Quail eggs that were beginning to hatch. He picked up one of the chicks and with his large hands, gently caressed the chick. I said to him that would be some good eating when he grew up. John looked at me and said no that the reason he raised them was so he could watch and feed them in the afternoon on his patio while he and Barbara admired them. There would be no Quail hunting!!!!!! There was other hunting, like the time I got my first deer. We were at Randolph Hodges farm in Cedar Key and John was the first to arrive at my stand after he heard the shot from my 12 guage. He stepped the distance from where I had shot to where the deer was and was so proud of my marksmanship. We fished together on Sarasota Bay for Reds and Trout. He, as do I, loved the outdoors. In 1979 I was staying in my motor home during the legislative session and with no cell or land line phone, the only way to get in touch was to knock on my door. On the night of April 4, 1979 John knocked on my door at 10:00 PM to tell me my son Chris had been killed in an auto accident. He took me to the corner 7-11 store so I could use the pay phone to call home to get more details. Over the past 47 years any time I had a crises in my life he was always there. No matter what my situation was, either running for Speaker of the House, going through a divorce, an election, to entering a new business venture, his support and advice was always there. My admiration and respect for this wonderful man that God allowed me to know for 47 years is not equal to any other. Thank you Lord for giving me the opportunity to know him. I will always remember and cherish our time together and I look forward to seeing you again on the other side. God Bless you John Culbreath and your family you so dearly loved. John Ryals 6.28.13
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 20:19:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015