An Obituary
Jonathan Robert Wheeler, born November 12th 1986 died Monday June 12th 2006
I'm writing this as much for my benefit as for anyone's, and thusly I suppose it's really more of a eulogy, but if I let the world think I didn't give a damn I would be lying, and moreover would be doing my friend a disservice. Jon may not have been a good person and may not have even been a good friend, but I'd like to think he was, because then I could say with pride that he was my best friend for a good majority of my life.
I am saddened to remember today, another such day many years ago when Jon's mother passed away, leading eventually to the very first funeral I ever attended. I know this won't be the last funeral I attend, but I dearly hope it will be the last one I attend for a member of the Wheeler family; they're kind people who've now had a second great loss.
I cannot say which one person has influenced me more than any other during my life time, but I wouldn't be the man I am today without Jon. I'd be lying if I said he hadn't made me a bit skeptic, and perhaps a bit jaded, but he's taught me so much more than outweighs that. When I first met him at the age of 4 I thought he was a pretty cool kid, and when he introduced me to Warcraft I a couple of years later, I was sure of it. Jon's taught me more than just how to play Warcraft though, he taught me how to propel myself on a swing set, how to build a Lego palace fit for a hamster, and he even started me down the long path that eventually led to me being able to talk to girls. Whether or not he ever realized it, he is directly responsible for my current path in life. As a young child with a multimeter Jon taught me to take joy in taking electronics apart, as a greasy faced middle-schooler he inflicted rock and roll on me until I eventually began to like it, and even as a druggy he demonstrated to me the importance of keeping my hedonistic tendencies in check.
He may have made some poor choices, but that's what it means to be human, and ultimately, he will be missed.
I'm writing this as much for my benefit as for anyone's, and thusly I suppose it's really more of a eulogy, but if I let the world think I didn't give a damn I would be lying, and moreover would be doing my friend a disservice. Jon may not have been a good person and may not have even been a good friend, but I'd like to think he was, because then I could say with pride that he was my best friend for a good majority of my life.
I am saddened to remember today, another such day many years ago when Jon's mother passed away, leading eventually to the very first funeral I ever attended. I know this won't be the last funeral I attend, but I dearly hope it will be the last one I attend for a member of the Wheeler family; they're kind people who've now had a second great loss.
I cannot say which one person has influenced me more than any other during my life time, but I wouldn't be the man I am today without Jon. I'd be lying if I said he hadn't made me a bit skeptic, and perhaps a bit jaded, but he's taught me so much more than outweighs that. When I first met him at the age of 4 I thought he was a pretty cool kid, and when he introduced me to Warcraft I a couple of years later, I was sure of it. Jon's taught me more than just how to play Warcraft though, he taught me how to propel myself on a swing set, how to build a Lego palace fit for a hamster, and he even started me down the long path that eventually led to me being able to talk to girls. Whether or not he ever realized it, he is directly responsible for my current path in life. As a young child with a multimeter Jon taught me to take joy in taking electronics apart, as a greasy faced middle-schooler he inflicted rock and roll on me until I eventually began to like it, and even as a druggy he demonstrated to me the importance of keeping my hedonistic tendencies in check.
He may have made some poor choices, but that's what it means to be human, and ultimately, he will be missed.