Every opportunity I had to spend time with John, I took that time. He was a fantastic influence on my work for the OSU-Law, Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. I was so very appreciative of being permitted to participate on the investment screening committee of OTAF, and we enjoyed debating the positive & negative of particular pitches and slide decks. We'd go over all of that before and again after the pitches. John graciously invited me to the OTAF general meetings, and to private events with thought leaders who were visiting Columbus. Now at John's passing, It is a chapter of my professional life that I recall fondly and miss dearly. R.I.P. John, you earned many rewards, and helped many entrepreneurs.
Prof. Lee Thomason

Great job Jay!! You look like your dad with his glasses on. Love the service. Sorry I couldn’t be there for you all.  Loved your dad  andlove to you all.:heart:

Jay, sending copious amounts of love to you, your family, and all those who knew your dad. As you once told me (while tagging along on a little family trip to Muir Woods with me and my own dad) "I can see where you get it from!" I've already googled 5 of the words from your dad's eulogy, and have his Spotify playlist queued up to go. I wish I could be there in person to give you a great big hug. 

Your Pal,
Annie

Well done, Jay!  Truly was your father speaking!  Love to the family!
Nancy & David Lindimore

I sat on the ACA board with John (when he was ex-officio), and while his professional accomplishments were impressive, it was his personal approach to a life well-lived that really sticks with me. I'll share a few observations.

1) John was a welcome ally and sponsor of women and people of color into the rooms, clubs and conversations that before seemed to them unwelcoming or inaccessible. I was not aware that he was doing this for years before inclusivity became a well-discussed topic, until I interviewed several very successful angel investors of color who credited John with their introduction to the field.

2) John's curiosity and joy seemed to be a driving life purpose. We shared a love of words and wine, and enjoyed sending recommendations to each other. He became a solid customer of Stoller Family Estates winery, in my home Oregon, after I arranged a ACA home tasting kit for the Summit during the pandemic. He continued to order Stoller wines long after, always dropping me a note about a fabulous bottle or their stellar customer service. His enthusiasm was infectious. He shared with me how much he and his wonderful bride enjoyed the Rombauer wines, especially the buttery chardonnay. My groom and I enjoyed a bottle at his recommendation, and will again in John's and Liz's honor. 

On the words side, I sent John a family favorite tome (out of print), "Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words". He added it to his collection, gleefully noting that he was adding a volume he had never heard of. 

3) Civility is neither old-fashioned, or irrelevant. The personal notes sent to many by John will endure far beyond a forgettable tech widget or feature upgrade. 

John, you were a class act, and an inspiration. I will strive to follow your example in pursuing a life well-lived, and shared.

---Angela Jackson
ACA Board of Directors,  Portland Seed Fund

I will always cherish our time spent during Christmas. Uncle John and Grandfather Stan would have lengthy conversations about politics, economics, and world events while sipping brandy by the fireplace. Even though those topics were normally not interesting to a young kid, John's incredible orating skills made them fun to listen to. I would do anything for one more conversation by the fire with them both.

Rich Molnar (John's nephew)

So many fond memories of John it is difficult to pick just one.

But what still strikes me is all of the entrepreneurs who told me how selfishly John took time out of his schedule to talk with and counsel them.  This is a kindness that will endure.

My heartfelt sympathy and condolences to John's family.

Mark Butterworth

I can't tell you how much i enjoyed knowing John ad having him in my ACA life. I was honored to share experiences with him - I too was a Chair of ACA and recipient of the Hans Severiens award - and to feel the responsibility of growing our trade association.i never tired of joking about the bow tie character and regret his passing too soon thus denying sharing stories and co-teaching angel seminars. thank you for organizing the ceremonies and tributes for your Dad and i look forward to sharing stories at the upcoming ACA conference in May. and to wearing a bow tie in his memory. Best wishes to the entire family and know John will be remembered forever by those who knew him. best wishes.
John May
The Villages, Florida

We already miss John's wisdom and warmth. From the time we joined Queen City Angels, John couldn't have been more generous with his coaching and mentoring of two newbie investors. He had the uncanny ability to distill his years of experience into pithy and memorable nuggets that we continue to rely on in deciding whether to write a check or not. 

With his ever-present smile, outgoing nature and signature bow tie, John lit up a room and made everyone in it feel special. 

We will not see the likes of John again, but the impact he had on so many of his friends and colleagues will live on. 

Sue and Steve Baggott

John was the first person I met when I first showed up "incognito" at an Angel Capital Association annual Summit. He had been looking for me and sat down next to me in a casual manner and just started talking. As a native Buckeye, I found immediate comfort in talking with John and his warm and welcoming demeanor.

Soon after returning home I opened up the mail to find a copy of Hustonisms with a personalized and hand written (with green ink) note from John. I cherish the book and his first impression will remain with me forever in the most affectionate manner.

There is no doubt that John's legacy and spirit will live on with so many as we continue in our work to provide the fuel to the entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives economic growth around the world.

Thank you, John, for being you!

Patrick Gouhin

John was both a student and master of angel investing.  He never stopped expanding his considerable knowledge of this asset class.  He and his trademarked bow ties were recognizable to leaders of the Angel Capital Association since OTAF was organized and joined the fledgling Angel Capital Association in 2004. Familiar to all as the founding member of the Ohio TechAngels Funds, John was also well-known around the world as an expert in angel investing.
As others have mentioned, John had a prodigious vocabulary.  Many a time, after reading a Huston pronouncement, I rushed off to my Funk & Wagnalls for an interpretation of John’s point.  Recently, I quite enjoyed reading “100 Hustonisms” published by (you guessed it) Bow Tied Angel Press.
John’s smiling face and delightful disposition will be sorely missed within the angel community.
Rest in peace, John!
Ann and Bill Payne

My sincerest condolences.  John was a mentor to many of us.  In my case the teacher truly became the student with John doing so very much to learn, add to the knowledge tree and disseminate that knowledge to the world's angel investment community.  All with a great sense of humor and tremendous energy.  Long live John's work and his memory!

Smart, engaging, optimistic, generous. Wonderfully entertaining and a word master.  Because of John, I developed a new-found appreciation for the dictionary, as I had to lookup a lot of words that were daily part of his lexicon. 

His leadership and sphere of influence has and continues to impact many lives, more than he probably realized.  For me and my wife, his introductions to others and kind counsel helped change the direction of our lives, so that we too became more fully able to positively help others.

I always looked forward to visiting with John, Lizzie, Trinka and Loosie (their two dachshunds).  I'm forever grateful for John's presence in my life.  Peace, comfort and love to Liz and the family.

Mark Leder

Full Of Love Bouquet was purchased for the family of John O. Huston.

John is a person I will remember until the day I leave this world. John introduced me to Angel investing 18 years ago when he was looking for 40 investors to put up $25k to form OTAF I. I knew John from Huntington Bank and from serving together on the board at Columbus State but when he asked me for $25k, I about fell off my chair. Not only did John convince me to join OTAF I, I joined OTAF II, III, & IV and invested personally in over 10 companies. I, like many others developed a confidence in John and his ability to manage the Ohio Tech Angel Funds. Not only was OTAF an investment group, it was a social group and over my 10+ year involvement, I met many great people that became friends for life. I looked forward to our monthly meetings and missed very few. My wife became active and we enjoyed not only the meetings, but John’s wit, humor, leadership, and friendship. 

My relationship with John started as business focused but soon turned into a personal relationship and I counted John as a true friend. I will truly miss John and my heart goes out to Lizzy and his family. RIP good friend!

Rick & Jackie Sellers

Those of us who knew John Huston will remember January 29, 2022 as a special day in history.  On that day, we lost a special friend and neighbor. John possessed an infinite intellect and knowledge of a wide variety of subjects. He was a wise and generous man with a memorable wit.  He will be missed.   
Jim and Joann Patterson

Not many people stayed in the startup game longer than John. He was always there in the early days promoting new startups when no-one in the community cared. He would help you find funding, legal help and just provide great advice to all of us who were brave enough to do this stuff in the early days. It wasn't pretty like it is now. 15 years ago, there was no real investment opportunities in Central Ohio outside of Johns work at Tech Angels.

For everyone successful today, you owe that success to John who believed when not many others did.

If you didn't go to a Tech Angels pitch and fund raise at the Springfield Country Club, you have no idea what it was like pitching to business people, farmers and anyone who was a qualified investor.

John made all of this happen. He supported my crazy ideas and many other.

I just wish new, successful startups had an idea of how tough it was in the early days and how much John created the environment for what we see today.

Take care Mr. Bow Tie. Can't thank you enough for all you did and your dedication to the Columbus startup community.

See you around the bend...

John was a generous and honourable man whose community spirit and friendship quickly created a meaningful and lasting bond for which I am truly thankful. We have lived on opposite sides of the planet yet enjoyed a close, valued and valuable relationship.

No surprise that John managed to pass on his own terms, always the master of his situation. My deepest condolences and warmest wishes to Lizzie, Heather, Jay and your families.

Your John was an inspiration to me and to many others. A man who succeeded in fostering success and inspiring meaningful outcomes, all while giving us a chuckle to ease the path ahead.

RIP John, you will be missed.

Jordan Green, Australia

The members of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Military Officers Association extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of John Huston.

Alexander Bettinger, Colonel USAF (Ret)
Secretary

John Huston was a great neighbor and friend that my wife and I dearly loved. We always looked forward to our convertible trips where John would treat us to a word of the day as well as an event that took place in history on that date.
John will be greatly missed by all who live in The Woods of Medallion. God bless you John Huston. 
Edward Kallay

OBITUARY

John Oliver Huston

16 April, 1945 – 29 January, 2022

Schoedinger Margarum Northeast

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