John Charles Heuston

John Charles Heuston, 79, died on the 23rd day of September 2015, in Little Rock, Arkansas. John was born on April 30, 1936 in Little Rock, Arkansas, the son of Charles Herbert Heuston and Essie Wright Heuston. Though he grew up in Little Rock, his fondest memories were of hunting and fishing around his grandparents' farm in Scottsville, Arkansas. This experience engendered a lifelong love of the outdoors and the state of Arkansas. John Heuston graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1954 and continued his education at Washington University in Saint Louis, Mo. where he received a degree in journalism. He also spent eight years in the Air National Guard, serving in both the Arkansas and Missouri National Guard. He worked for the Fordyce News Advocate, the Baxter County Bulletin, the Arkansas Democrat and for Parks and Recreation before joining Arkansas Power and Light/Energy where he worked in communications until retirement. A hunter and outdoor writer, he was a tireless defender of Arkansas' natural resources. During the fight to save the Buffalo River and make it the first national river in the U.S. from 1961 to 1972, he gave a voice to those working to protect the river and public notice to all in the scenic beauty and natural resource that would have been lost were the river to be dammed. An active outdoorsman his entire life, he wrote about the life he lived. He was a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Ozark Society, Arkansas Bowhunters Association, the Heritage Hunting Club, the Arkansas Pioneers Association, and the Civil War Round Table of Arkansas. When he wasn't freelance writing about hunting and fishing, canoeing and hiking, he researched and metal detected for relics at just about every Civil War battlefield and encampment west of the Mississippi River. With family members on both sides of the conflict, it was a hobby that gave him much enjoyment and reflection. In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his beloved step-daughter, Becky Moore Landreth. He leaves behind a loving wife, Margaret Harkins Heuston; his son, James Campbell Heuston and his wife, Kari Ann Heuston; and two grandsons, Sean Alan Heuston and Liam James Heuston. Special thanks go to the caregivers at the Ginny & Bob Shell Alzheimer's Center and Baptist Hospice for their care and kindness. Visitation will begin at 12 noon, Saturday, September 26, 2015 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, 13801 Chenal Pkwy., Little Rock, (501) 224-8300. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be at Forest Hills Memorial Park in Alexander, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ozark Society Foundation, 707 Pleasant Valley Drive #10, Little Rock, Ark. 72227, or Alzheimer's Arkansas, 201 Markham Center Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72205. To sign the online guestbook, visit www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.