Eulogy by John's sister Jennifer:
August 28, 2000 | Memorial Service | U.S. Naval Academy Chapel
Attended by Congressman Frank LoBiondo, NJ State Senator William Gormley, and 350 friends and fellow Midshipmen:

The other night I went for a run, and it made me think a lot of John. We used to go out running together so that we could motivate “each other” (according to John), but somehow he'd always end up being the one to urge me on. John had the funniest run…not the run itself, but the part going into the run. He’d do a little skip/hop type thing just as he was starting to jog that never failed to make me giggle. It’s something he had done since we were little kids, kind of a little trademark move I guess.

The last time we ran together is something I’ll always remember about him. There is a basketball net on the side of the road in our neighborhood that is short enough so that you can touch the rim without really even having to jump. Every time we rounded the corner, panting a little harder each time, John would do his little skip, leap into the air and do a pretend slam dunk on the net…both to make me laugh and to show me that if we still had enough energy in us to jump and hit rim, then we could keep running a little while longer. He’d change it up each time around, making funnier faces and more impressive dunks, sometimes even throwing in a sound effect or two if I got lucky.

The other night as I ran alone, I had to stop and cry each time I passed the net because I had taken for granted that he’d always be there to amuse and motivate me…both with running and with life in general. We were different in many ways, but John had always been there to lead the way for me. Although I always tried to be my own person, John had an enormous influence over everything that I did in my life. We had all of the same friends, thanks to the fact that he never minded letting his little sis’ tag along, and we shared a similar sense of humor. We could never be bored when we were together because there was always something to joke or laugh about.

Some of my friends growing up had older siblings and hated being referred to by teachers as so-and-so’s little sister or brother. I could have been completely happy being known simply as “John’s little sister” all throughout grammar school, and for the rest of my life. John always made such an impact on people with his many accomplishments, his contagious sense of humor and zest for life, but I never felt as though I was in his shadow. I was never jealous, only proud. I am heartbroken over his death and will never feel complete again without my big brother, my “Johnny.”

The other night as I jogged past the basketball net–seconds away from giving up and walking–I looked up, grabbed the rim, smiled big and ran another lap around the block.

top of page | back