Strategies_Spring2024

REMEMBERING JOHN

Celebrating Life, Laughter and Legacy

A s many of you already know, our chairman, John H. Mize Jr., passed away this fall. When asked if I would write something about my dad for our company magazine, I thought about how he would want it written. If you knew my father and his sense of humor, he would want us to first and foremost mention how funny he was and how his wit was intact until the end—which is entirely accurate. He made friends with every nurse and joked with every doctor until his last hour. It was signature Johnny Mize. He also had an exceptional memory. He would always tell people that he hated lanyard name badges at our Buying Market (which is why we wear ones clamped to our lapel) because they would flip around and he wouldn’t know anyone’s name. But that wasn’t true. My father could not only remember names but specific details about people, including their pets, spouse’s occupation, hometown, mascot, sports they played in high school and more. It was a gift and one he enjoyed. Everyone at our Atchison office loved him. Whether as a confidant in

boost, he would text or call at just the right time. Two Atchisonians reminded me this week that my dad was also their first phone call from jail. He was loyal and kind and could always be trusted in a pinch. His favorite saying, often accompanied by an extended hand, was a simple introduction: John Mize, Atchison, Kansas. It was a statement that captured his pride in his roots and his warm, welcoming nature. Barry Simpson, a Blish-Mize team member and fixture at the Market, had asked me to bring my dad to the last Fall Buying Market and offered to help him get around. I asked my dad if he wanted to attend, but he said he didn’t think he felt up to it. I regret not pushing him more to get back out and see the old gang. He would have enjoyed seeing so many happy customer faces and celebrating your businesses with you all one last time. Thank you for being fans of Johnny and part of the Blish-Mize Family.

To learn more about John H. Mize Jr.’s life and story, you can read his obituary by scanning the QR code.

a problem or a friend in a celebration, you knew he was someone you could always go to. He also never kept his hometown pride a secret. My dad was such a supporter of people both in Atchison and beyond. If you were featured in the paper, you got the clipping in the mail. If you needed a

Blish Mize Connor Communications Director

40 Spring 2024 • Hardlines Strategies