Into The Light: Sunny Cone

This weekend, my friend and brother from another mother, John Leonard (Sunny) Cone, Jr. passed away. For all that I had hoped there would be more time, it was not unexpected. Sunny knew his time was likely short, but swore those that knew to secrecy as he didn’t want people to worry.

That, and a dedication to helping his friends, were Sunny in a nutshell. We first met in kindergarten, then came together again in grade school and high school. He was everything this introvert was not: outgoing, sociable, mischievous, with a ready wit. Even then, he looked after his friends and those he “adopted” for lack of a better word. He was a preacher’s son, but his wild was tempered and any shenanigans he or any of us together may have gotten up to were never harmful.

To this day I still laugh every time I think about him serenading our 8th grade biology teacher (and the class) with the tune ‘I believe in sphericals’ sung to the tune of “I believe in miracles (you sexy thing you).” His humor, and he himself, were delightfully irrepressible. At least to us, his classmates. I’m not prepared to swear the teachers always agreed with that.

He also never hesitated to, metaphorically at least, kick our ass if he felt we needed it. Get up, get going, the future is up to you and glorious if you move, move, move. Pretty good about taking it too, when needed.

Life put us on different paths, but brought us back together every now and then. In recent times, we both had some changes in fortune and health. Sunny, sadly, lost his first wife unexpectedly. He was then blessed to meet Monica and marry her, and she was by his side high or low until the end. Like me, he had some memory issues though his were caused by some falls. He had other things crop up, and we encouraged each other and did what we could for each other.

Typical Sunny, even as things were grim he was looking for ways not just to get back on his feet, but to help take others along as well. He thought he had an angle I could do even with my memory issues. Sadly, it was not to be as he recently took a turn for the worse then passed. There will be a celebration of life in November, and I’m going to do what I can to be there. Meantime, one of his college friends has started a GoFundMe to help Monica with medical and other expenses.

Godspeed my friend. May God wrap you in his light and love brother. May your light and love join with his and shine down on Monica and those you leave behind.

I would end by saying ‘until Valhalla’ but if I did, Sunny would find a way to greet me on the other side wearing a cheesy Viking horn hat playing a kazoo instead of blowing a horn. Guaranteed.

13 thoughts on “Into The Light: Sunny Cone”

    1. Thanks! Wish I had not had to do it, but hope it shares a bit of him and makes people smile and laugh — he would have wanted that.

  1. Such a moving and beautiful tribute. It was my honor to read this and be a part of the grief every one will go through in the days to come.

  2. This is the perfect tribute to Sunny! Made me smile and laugh, as Sunny always did! Thank you for sharing it Blake.

    1. Thank you, and it is my honor, though I fear I don’t do right by him. So many good stories, and I haven’t even tapped Tales of the Cottage (now there is a name for a collection of short stories!), the firecracker story, or so many others.

  3. Blake
    You summed him up well…
    Wanting to help others was what I recall the last few years when we reconnected.
    I was unaware he was ill so I was shocked to learn he had passed.
    All my Sunny memories are laced with fun and mischief.
    The best kind of high school memories, eh?
    Best to you, and here’s to Sunny!

  4. Nice job, Blake. My memories of Sunny are, of course, only in the classroom, but I do cherish those. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he was a lot of fun to tease and get to know…wish I’d known him better. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you who were his friends, family and comrades!

    1. Thank you, and he was one of a kind. When they do his celebration hope you can make it.

  5. Thank you, Blake. You captured so much of all that we loved in Sunny. I always smile (and usually laugh out loud) when I think of Sunny and Robert’s antics replicating Chevy Chase skits and fall down antics ftom SNL. Sunny always shared his smile with all. I’m just sorry we didn’t get to visit at our last few class reunions.

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