Who Was Jon Massey

I have been asked to share the letter I wrote which was read at Jon's memorial service.  I am so happy to share it because I want EVERYONE to know what a wonderful man he was.  It was written to be read allowed - not printed, so forgive any grammatical errors - I don't have the energy to search them out at the moment.  :)  Though my words fall short, I hope you this will give you some idea why the hole in our hearts will be impossible to fill.  Only by the grace of our loving God.

Who was Jon Massey?  

 

He was many things, to many people, but rest assured he was NOT his disease.  

Depression did not define him.  The looming dark cloud that brought on his intense 

sadness was NOT WHO JON was.  

I don't have adequate words to honor him today.  My heart is so full of grief, but also 

overflowing with thankfulness, so if you'll allow me, I just want to share a little bit of the 

Jon Massey we all knew and loved.

As a business owner he was incredibly smart and fearless.  He took a struggling 4 patient 

hospice and gathered a team of people who were great and grew it to be the 4th largest 

in San Antonio.  He faced giant obstacles head on and always rallied to great success, 

but always attributed it to the great team of people he loved and lead.  

As a boss he lead by example.  He would never ask someone to do something he wasn't 

willing to do himself.  He went the extra mile for his patients, visiting homes and taking 

care of pest control or other unpleasantries, things not required by his job, and things that 

others might have ignored.  He sat at bedsides, took patients fishing, brought groceries, 

paid electric bills and so much more than people ever knew.  When one of his employees 

was battling cancer, he continued to pay her long after she was able to work.  Why?  

Because it was the right thing to do.

As a friend he was the listening ear, the kind smile and the generous soul who would 

make sure no need went unmet.  He made friends with ALL ages - He could just as easily 

enter the heart of a child, the bank presidents and C.E.O.s, the homeless man, the single 

mom, the Christian or the athiest.  He was a friend to ALL.  He was the guy who would 

race your kids down the sidewalk and conduct silly interviews with them just to get a laugh.  

He was kind and generous, giving more sacrificially than anyone I have ever known...and 

NEVER wanting any credit for it.  He met people everywhere and when he looked them in 

the eye and asked how they were, before long they were telling him their life story and 

crying about something they were going through...and he listened...he listened as long 

as it took because people mattered.  They mattered more than anything to him and you 

KNEW that - whether you were his lifelong friend or meeting him for the first time at a 

blackjack table in Las Vegas.  The best part about him was that you could tell him 

ANYTHING and KNOW that you were safe.  There was no judgement, only compassion 

and understanding.

As a brother he was mischievous and entertaining as a youngster...and supportive and 

caring as an adult...well, maybe still a little mischievous as an adult, too.  The kids loved 

listening to all of his stories about growing up and the many pranks pulled on his brothers,

kids in school and even the church youth minister.  

As a son, he was giving, respectful, always desiring to honor his mother and father, and 

even his in-laws.  He spent hours and hours working with his Dad at the ranch.  He spent 

days at my parents house trimming trees and hauling off brush.  He loved his mom's fried

chicken and he always ended every conversation with "I Love You."

As a father he was FUN.  He was goofy.  He was loving and he was present - showing up

for every school event, band concert, recital, basketball game, awards ceremony and 

graduation....usually taking lots of pictures and videos so that he could brag on those 

kids later.  Once, while I was away on a business trip and my mom was keeping the kids, 

My little 5 year old McCartney called crying because the school bike rodeo was the next 

day and she had no bike.  Jon went out that night, found a bicycle, helmet, light, bell and 

all the things needed for a bike rodeo and delivered the bike to my door the next morning

 at 6 am.  He wasn't going to let that little girl go to school sad.  Last summer, he and 

Jordan embarked on a long road trip to New Orleans for an audition.  When things didn't 

go as planned, Jon knew just what to do.  He knew when to be silent and when to break 

the silence with something funny.  When Lynee wanted to go camping, Jon went camping.  

They shared a mutual appreciation for all things in nature - and the grosser the better!  

When Jeremy wanted to go hiking, they went hiking.  He ALWAYS made time.  He 

especially treasured his time at the Men's Retreat last May with Jeremy.  He treasured 

every moment with his kids and prayed for them each day without fail.  Above all, his 

desire for each of them was to KNOW Jesus and to experience that a HUNGER for a 

deep relationship with God.

As a husband, he was EVERYTHING.  He was adoring and protective, my biggest 

cheerleader, my warmest hug, my shoulder to cry on, the song in my heart and the 

reason behind my smile.  He constantly went out of his way to make me feel special.  

His cards were always filled with eloquent words and his gifts were above and beyond 

thoughtful.  Once, I had been shopping with a friend in Fredricksburg and saw a beautiful 

picture frame that I fell in love with.  It was way too expensive so I didn't buy it, but 

somehow it came up in conversation later.  Without my knowledge, he went to 

Fredricksburg and went up and down the street to all the shops searching for that frame. 

He called my friend Wende for help and together they managed to find it.  I nearly melted 

when he gave it to me for Christmas.  That was Jon.  He showered me constantly with 

kindness, with encouragement, with gifts and with TIME.  We were best friends.  We 

dreamed big dreams together, prayed for our children together and had big plans for the 

future.  He was intensely passionate about our latest adventure to Nicaragua.  We both 

KNEW deep in our hearts that God wanted us to be there.  He had a work for us to do 

there and we were making plans on how to proceed with that.  Jon was already building 

relationships with neighbors, locals and EVERYONE loved him....the language barrier was 

no barrier to Jon's ability to make friends.  I have no idea how I will do it, but my intent is to 

spend the rest of my life honoring the friend that he was, the husband that he was and the man

that he was.  If God leads the way, I will continue down our path to work in Nicaragua and make a

home there.  But, like Jon, I will seek the Lord's guidance above all and place my constant faith 

and hope in him.

You see THAT'S who Jon was.  I often told him that he reminded me of David.  He, too 

was a man after God's own heart, who embraced life fully and experienced life, the highs 

and the lows, deeply.

The man that left us on April 11th was not our Jon.  Jon was the man we all loved.  Jon 

was the spirit that entered heaven, fell at the feet of Jesus whom he loved more deeply 

than he even loved us.  He is now free of the suffering and tormented mind that he battled

for so long.  

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us ALL Jon.  He was a one of a kind and we are forever 

changed by the love, kindness and generosity you brought to life through Him.