Our family has been trying to think of a way to honor John for years, but nothing ever feels quite right. Having a plaque on a bench in a park, planting a tree, even naming a building after him…let’s face it, the building would have to be a skyscraper, and that wouldn’t even be enough. John lived life in a big way and that included showing his love for his family, cherishing his boundless friendships, his generous spirit and philanthropy, and his love of being a mentor to the youth on the teams he coached. The name of this team came right from his coaching days. As kids would inevitably get injured while participating in the sports he coached, he would always give the injured wrist or knee, or wherever the injury was, a good, concerned look, and declare, “it’s just a sprain.” Almost inevitably the kid would jump up and return to the field.

When John was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer on February 14, 2019, he approached his diagnosis with the same hopeful spirit…it’s just a sprain (you will still see those rubber bracelets on our friends and family that say just that). There was no way he was going to be taken out of the game. But all the visits to our local oncologists, the trips to MD Anderson in Houston, the unending rounds of chemo, and the multiple radiation treatments just weren’t enough to keep John in the game. He passed away on January 18, 2021 after almost 2 years of fighting this horrible disease. 

Our family is so grateful to finally have a way to honor John’s memory in a way that would have been meaningful to him…by helping others. Please join us in keeping John’s memory alive!