Requiem for Jonn

A light has gone out…

A picture has faded…

A perfect white sand beach has been deserted…

My friend Jonn has left us…

Jonn Stepp is (I’m having a hard time saying “was” as of yet) a talented, funny, and quick-witted individual who blessed the lives of those around him with smiles and laughter. He could make people laugh in any situation with the use of his humor, his celebrity impressions, and his big heart!! He was a funny stand-up comedian, an improv aficionado, a music lover, a great husband, a dedicated father, and a faithful friend…

They don’t know yet what happened…he was visiting family in Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday. Suddenly he was having a hard time breathing, he was gasping for air, but to no avail. The Emergency people came, but they couldn’t do anything. An autopsy is being performed to find out the cause, but it’s still a mystery…

His wife, Laysi, (pronounced Lī’ See), a beautiful Cuban woman, is devastated. Jonn is only 38 years old…how could this happen?

Let’s concentrate on the positive, though…let’s celebrate his life…let’s do it the way Jonn would have us do it…

Jonn is a nut!! I first met him at the casino Bourbon Street (now defunct) during a talent show competition. Every week, variety artists would compete against each other for cash prizes. I was there every week and so was Jonn. He and his comedy partner, Ronn (that’s right “Jonn and Ronn”), would perform hilarious stand-up routines together using, not just the comedy and improv skills at which they were so adept, but music also.

Ah yes, the music!! Jonn and Laysi would often have my wife and I over to their house for dinner and karaoke. Jonn has an extensive library of karaoke CDs and, at first (when we first started going over to their place) we would just choose whatever song we wanted to sing, but as the months rolled along, Jonn purchased a 100-sided die and a 20-sided die and it got to be more of a game. Since he had about 100 CDs, we would roll the 100-sided die to see which CD we would be singing from, and the 20-sided CD would determine which song on the CD we would sing. There were many-a time that I was singing songs that I had never even heard of…but Jonn seemed to know them all and he put his whole heart into singing them…

In fact, he put his whole heart into everything that he did.

One of the things that inspired me mostly about Jonn was his confidence level. He was good and he knew he was good!! And I don’t mean in a cocky way, either. Jonn had a strong background in improv so he wasn’t afraid to try things that would make most people end up being balled into a fetal position in a corner weeping their eyes out. He wasn’t afraid to bomb!! As a result…he rarely bombed!! It was an amazing thing to watch…and very inspirational!!

Jonn recently wrote a script, that he wanted to pitch to some movie people, about two idiot brothers who perform karaoke songs at functions like funerals, weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc…. only changing the words of the karaoke songs to fit the occasion. In his pitching, he wanted to play one of the brothers and he wanted me to play the other. The script is hilarious, and it would make a great movie!! In a lot of ways, Jonn borrowed the script from great moments in his life. He finished it just a few months ago… Coincidence? I think not!!

Anyway, I have titled this article a “Requiem for Jonn.” A requiem is a song played for the dead. As a result, I have to call in a couple of paradoxes:

1) Jonn will never really be dead to me and to those who knew and loved him…
2) You can’t hear the music unless you know Jonn…

I have tried to let you get to know Jonn a little so you, too, can “hear” the Requiem!!

I love you, Jonn…my heart aches because I miss you…but my heart rejoices because you led a happy, joyful, and meaningful life. I know I’ll see you again someday…but until then, keep ‘em laughing!!

Bye…