John Futch, a veteran newspaper journalist who served for years at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has died in Cambodia, two weeks after suffering a stroke. He was 75.
A GoFundMe had been set up to help Futch, also a Vietnam War veteran, with medical expenses.
His death was reported on a Facebook post.
“John Futch has spent his life fighting for our freedoms — in war zones and newsrooms across the country,” said Michael Delorio, Futch’s adopted son who started the GoFundMe. “More recently in retirement he’s been living in Cambodia. Recently, he had a fall and head injury, possibly due to stroke. Now he’s struggling in a small town Cambodian hospital in Phnom Penh without the critical care needed to recover.”
»Click here to access the GoFundMe
Futch moved to Cambodia several years ago after retiring from the Long Beach Press-Telegram, former colleague Charlie Hayslett said. Futch, according to Hayslett, underwent surgery Thursday morning.
After Vietnam, Futch spent his journalistic career in Athens and Atlanta, and then Boca Raton, Florida, before moving to California. He volunteered with Hearts Beyond Boundaries, a Long Beach-based medical organization with doctors who traveled to other countries. During those trips, the fundraiser says, Futch fell in love with Cambodia.
According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Futch’s friends and colleagues had been contacting various U.S. officials and the embassy in Cambodia to ensure Futch got the best care possible.
