Thunderbird Advocate Chief A. J. Huffer Dies

 

In 1977, a person named John Huffer took a number of pictures of two giant birds withdrawing from a tree. Though the sighting was talked about by the Discovery Channel on their present, Into the Unknown, the birds pictured within the pictures had been dismissed as turkey vultures reasonably than Thunderbirds.  This actuality tv look was linked to the sightings in Lawndale, Illinois. John Huffer, identified later as Chief A. J. Huffer turned a well known advocate of big cryptid birds. Thunderbird sightings have continued into the brand new millennium.

 

On March 29, 2022, ”Chief AJ” Huffer suffered a fall. The medical doctors found a severe an infection, and he started a combat for his life. On March 30, 2022, he handed away.

Chief AJ John Huffer, 84, of Tuscola, Illinois, died together with his loving spouse, Corinne, close by at 9:15 a.m. March 30, 2022 at Sarah Bush Lincoln Well being Heart, Mattoon, Illinois.

Chief AJ was born in Peoria on Dec. 25, 1937. He was adopted by Charles and Dorothy Busey Huffer of Urbana.

 Chief AJ attended the College of Illinois after graduating from Urbana Excessive College in 1955. He joined the Marine Corps after one semester on the UI. Throughout his time as a Marine in California, he was a physique builder and a degree 1 marksman. After honorable discharge, he returned to the UI, the place he was recruited to be a mannequin for artwork college students. That’s the place he met and fell in love with artwork scholar Corinne Shreve. They had been married on July 26, 1959. They had been married 62 years till Corinne’s passing on Aug. 17, 2021.

Chief AJ is survived by his son, Jason (Janice) Huffer of Waverly, Ohio; daughter, Rebekah (Vince) Baldauf of Anchorage, Alaska; grandchildren, Benjamin Burton, Tara Huffer (Lawrence) and CoWanda Pleasure Huffer and Dottie (Cody) and John Baldauf; and great-grandsons, Bastian Skye Burton and Noah Lawrence Moshofsky Huffer.

He was preceded in dying by his spouse, Corinne Huffer; father, Charles C. Huffer; mom, Dorothy Busey Huffer; sister, Mary Huffer Hickman; and granddaughter, Stephanie Corinne Huffer.

At 80 years previous, by means of DNA testing, he was blessed to be united together with his organic brother, Theodore Yednock.

Funeral providers can be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 4, at Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Residence, 705 S. Most important St., Tuscola, with the Rev. Ralph Deal officiating. Burial will comply with in Tuscola Township Cemetery. Visitation can be from 4 to six p.m. Sunday, April 3, on the funeral dwelling.

Chief graduated from Bible school and was impressed to begin a boys dwelling. This introduced him again to Tuscola, the place they bought a big dwelling for the boys dwelling. The boys dwelling finally modified to an assisted dwelling dwelling. Then, with companions, he opened We Care Nursing Residence in Arcola. Additionally they opened lodge eating places in Arcola and Mattoon. He finally joined the Carpenters Union in Champaign Urbana. He later was a contractor and had dinner within the White Home with Ronald Reagan as Minority Contractor of the Yr.

Chief was a scrawny child. He needed to begin weight coaching at an early age. His dad and mom made him be taught all of the muscle groups earlier than they allowed him to get a dumb bar set. He went on to compete in Mr. America twice in his life and quite a few physique constructing competitions. He represented Tuscola within the Tremendous Pure Physique Traditional in 2001, the place he received first-place grasp 55 and over.

Chief had an epiphany and was set on capturing a world file. Over an eight-day interval in March 1987, he shot a world file of 14,060 wooden blocks with out a miss. This landed him on the duvet of Weapons journal and launched his journey of fame within the gun world. He later developed the Chief AJ Slingbow, which has been offered all around the world. His pricey good friend, Tony Reeves, now runs his “Slingbow Empire.” Chief appeared on actuality TV reveals “Prime Shot,” “Man vs Machine,” “Monster Hunters” and “Historical past’s Mysteries.” He personally bought to know Roy Rodgers and had an enormous Cowboy Indian gun change in Las Vegas.

Chief AJ (Apostle John) had a love of the Lord and loved preaching and bringing individuals to the Lord.

Chief AJ had a fantastic love for his household. He took His spouse, Corinne, all around the nation to gun reveals and nationwide parks. He frolicked in Alaska for the delivery of his grandchildren, and graduations, after counting their toes and fingers and watching graduations, he can be off on Alaskan looking adventures. He was blessed to have his granddaughter, Tara, and her household stick with him for the final month. He developed a wonderful bond together with his 7-month-old great-grandson, Noah.

Chief AJ has many followers world wide; he has touched many lives. He can be missed by many. After beating most cancers and dwelling with extreme neuropathy ache and dropping his beloved spouse, Corinne, he would at all times say, “I’m able to have supper with Jesus.” Chief AJ lived his life to the fullest; he was bigger than life together with his booming voice and large persona. He’ll without end reside on in his accomplishments and deeds and his everlasting life with the Lord, A-man.

___

His firm issued this announcement:

It’s with nice disappointment we should announce that the one and solely, legendary, John “Chief AJ” Huffer has handed on on the age of 84 to be reunited with Jesus and his beloved spouse of 64 years.

 

Because the founder and namesake of our firm, we need to take a while to honor the quite a few accomplishments he achieved throughout his time right here on earth.

 

• Chief held many world information in capturing with arrows, rifles, and slingshots. You’ll be able to be taught extra about these information right here.
• He was a champion bodybuilder in each his youth and as a senior citizen.
• A person of many skills, he was a contractor, a counselor, and a minister… however that’s not all. Chief would additionally turn out to be a photographer, an writer, and naturally an inventor/businessman.
• His guide “The Exploits of Chief AJ” might be bought right here.
• His best invention was our well-known Sling Bow, which (as chances are you’ll know) is a slingshot that may shoot arrows and is a authorized archery weapon in lots of states right this moment.
• He was additionally a TV star for a short whereas, showing on ‘Prime Shot’ from the Historical past Channel, after which the Nationwide Geographic Channel, the place he received a shoot-off in opposition to a completely computerized, laser-guided machine gun.

 

Whereas we may go on and on bragging about all of the unimaginable issues our beloved John Hufferdid throughout his life, most significantly to us — he was a fantastic good friend and mentor. For that, he can be immensely missed.

 

Fortunately, his legacy will at all times stay on the coronary heart of our firm. Chief AJ the enterprise will proceed to be run by Tony Reaves, because it has for the previous a number of years.

 

Chief, could you Relaxation In Peace.

My because of Kevin Guhl for passing alongside the information.

Chief AJ & Daughter Becky autographing
“The Exploits of Chief AJ” guide at Tulsa, OK present.

Video profile or right here.