At the QLd Astrofest he was our guest and so he could have had whatever meals he liked. He chose only to eat eggs and yogurt - from which a saying i've heard on occassion originated "does your scope have goto? - yes it's powered by eggs and yogurt". At the time his 16 year old son Laurin was with him, and every so often in the darkness you would here "oh Laurin come read this mirror" at which point John would ask him his opinion of a particular mirror's quality, more often than not John would agree that his son had been taught well by the master. Everytime since then that I have attended Astrofest this haunting memory of "oh Laurin...." echoing around the observing field returns. The acclaimed 6 part series The Astronomers had not long been on TV and John featured at the start of first episode, one scene had him talking to a group of people I think in Yosemite national park. They were gathered around him hanging on every word as he described their universe to them, similar thing happened at Astrofest in 94 and it wasn't just the newcomers that sat and listened to his interesting stories. Just like the Sunday minister handing out the hymn sheet at the front of the church, John gave to everyone he met a one page sheet he had written titled "Watcher's Of The Sky"
http://www.sidewalkastronomers.us/id82.html and he would politely ask "won't you come and join us". Please read "Watcher's of the Sky" - it is so very well written and so simple. For me John Dobson and Patrick Moore are the 2 most inspiring, living legends of our wonderful hobby.
PeterM