Moments ago I received one of those e-mails that smacks you in the face, as if someone threw a basketball at you. James Guthrie—who used the byline of J. Guthrie—has passed away at the age of 37. Guthrie worked for me when I was the Editor-in-Chief of Shooting Illustrated.
To say that he lived life to its fullest is a severe understatement. He was one of those types that nearly everyone seemed to truly like. His life centered on hunting and shooting, and his knowledge of those subjects was far beyond his young age. Guthrie packed a lot of life into a very short period.
We hunted Africa together with handguns in 2008. It was his first trip, and his enthusiasm and athleticism impressed not only the PHs but even those of us who had known him for some time. He literally crawled up and across a shear rock face cliff in order to get a shot at a kudu.
Guthrie leaves behind a beautiful wife and two children. Those who knew him are shocked beyond belief, and his readers and fans—of which there are many—have lost a fine friend. Godspeed amigo.
